Swatting Call Targets Justice Amy Coney Barrett at Virginia Home
Police rushed to the Virginia residence of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Wednesday evening after a hoax caller reported hearing gunshots at the address, marking the latest escalation in security threats targeting the nation’s highest court. Fairfax County Police responded to the “swatting” call at approximately 9:02 p.m. ET and quickly determined the report was fictitious after coordinating with Supreme Court Police personnel assigned to the residence, according to Fox News.
The Incident
The call came through the Fairfax County Police Department’s non-emergency line, with a caller claiming to be a neighbor reporting “gunshots heard” at Barrett’s home. A partial audio recording of the police dispatch captured a dispatcher noting that the address “has 24-hour security coverage for a high-priority resident of the county” and that officers could not reach the complainant back, according to NBC News.
“Officers immediately coordinated with Supreme Court Police personnel assigned to the residence and quickly determined that the report was fictitious,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in a statement. “No additional police resources were utilized.” No injuries or damage were reported, and no suspect has been identified or arrested as of the time of reporting.
Justice Barrett was on the bench Thursday morning alongside her colleagues, reading aloud summaries of two opinions she authored without mentioning the incident, as reported by Fox 5 DC.
What Is Swatting?
Swatting is the malicious act of making a hoax call to emergency services — typically reporting a violent crime in progress such as a shooting, hostage situation, or bomb threat — to provoke a heavily armed police response to an unsuspecting victim’s location. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the goal is to get law enforcement to respond in force. The FBI warns that swatting can cause injury or violence, endanger victims and responding officers, and divert public safety resources from real emergencies.
A Rising Wave of Threats
This incident is part of a broader pattern of escalating threats against conservative public figures. FBI Director Kash Patel announced in March 2025 that the bureau was investigating an “alarming rise” in swatting incidents targeting conservative media figures, including podcaster Nick Sortor and host Shawn Farash, as Fox News reported.
“I want to address the alarming rise in ‘Swatting’ incidents targeting media figures,” Patel wrote at the time. “This isn’t about politics — weaponizing law enforcement against ANY American is not only morally reprehensible but also endangers lives, including those of our officers.”
In December 2024, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was targeted by a swatting call at her Georgia home that turned deadly following a car accident with police. Greene said she had been swatted at least eight times.
Threats Against the Judiciary
Supreme Court justices have faced heightened security concerns since the leak of the Dobbs draft opinion in May 2022, which sparked protests outside the homes of conservative justices including Barrett, Kavanaugh, and Alito. In June 2022, Nicholas John Roske was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home in Maryland, armed with a gun, knife, and pepper spray. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was sentenced to approximately eight years in prison.
More recently, in March 2025, Barrett’s sister, Amanda Coney Williams, was targeted with a bomb threat at her home in Charleston, South Carolina. Police determined that threat was also false.
Chief Justice John Roberts noted in his 2024 year-end report that the number of threats against judges has tripled over the last decade. The U.S. Marshals Service reported 564 threats against judges in fiscal year 2025 alone.
Political Response
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) condemned the swatting attempt on X, writing: “Swatting is an attempt to get an innocent person killed — in this case, a sitting Supreme Court Justice. The proper response will be putting the offender in prison for many, many years.”
In January 2025, bipartisan legislation — the “Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act” — was introduced in Congress, proposing penalties of up to 20 years in prison if someone is seriously injured or killed in a swatting incident. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) also launched a House Oversight investigation into rising swatting attacks targeting individuals based on political affiliation.
What’s Next
No suspect has been identified in the Barrett swatting incident, and it remains unclear whether federal charges will be filed. The coordination between local police and Supreme Court Police appears to have worked effectively in this instance, but the incident underscores the persistent vulnerability of even the most protected public figures to this dangerous tactic. As swatting attacks continue to rise, the question of whether enhanced penalties and enforcement will be sufficient to deter future incidents remains open.