Police raid home of Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg and lock down school after hoax ‘swatting’ call
A call came in that someone with a weapon was at the family home of David Hogg, but it was a hoax, says police spokeswoman
The family home of Florida school shooting survivor and gun-law activist David Hogg was raided by police following a fake emergency call on Tuesday, leading to swift and heavy police response and a lockdown of at least one local elementary school, authorities said.
“It was a hoax call,” Broward County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Gina Carter said of the 8.39am report that someone was at the home with a weapon.
“A Swat team responded and cleared the home,” she said. “We are investigating who made the call.” She said the lockdown at an area elementary school was quickly lifted.
The practice of calling in prank police reports to have someone’s home raided is known as “swatting”. Last year a 28-year-old Kansas man was shot dead by police after he became a victim of a similar hoax.
Hogg, 18, made no direct mention of the incident on Twitter, where he has amassed more than 800,000 followers. He did, however, tweet shortly after the incident that “I could really use a chocolate chip muffin right now.”
Hogg graduated Sunday from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. He was one of several students thrust into the spotlight after the Valentine’s Day shooting rampage at his school left 17 students and staff dead and more than a dozen wounded.