Swatting Incident at Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s Home
On Wednesday, reports emerged that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s residence was targeted in a swatting incident, as indicated by police dispatch audio shared on X.
The audio reveals that police were dispatched following a call about gunshot sounds allegedly heard at Barrett’s home. A freelance journalist, Andrew Leyden, released the recording, in which a dispatcher mentions the response to “the suspicious noise” at a property guarded around the clock due to its connection with a high-profile individual.
The dispatcher noted, “Be advised we have not been able to get an answer on callback to the complainant’s phone number. Unknown if it’s going to be a swatting situation.” A responding officer later informed the dispatcher that he had contacted on-site security, who stated that he “hadn’t heard anything.”
The officer continued, “We’re just going to meet up with him first, just to go over anything.”
After discussions with Barrett’s security team, police confirmed it was a swatting call, according to Leyden’s post.
Robby Starbuck, a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, commented on Leyden’s post, branding the swatting attempt as “attempted murder.” He expressed concern for Barrett’s family, stating, “That’s what swatting really is: Attempted murder.” Starbuck emphasized the severity of the act, saying those responsible should face life imprisonment, while also commending the police for averting a potential disaster.
Senator Mike Lee from Utah similarly condemned the act on X, claiming, “Swatting is an attempt to get an innocent person killed—in this case, a sitting Supreme Court Justice.” He asserted that those responsible should face long prison sentences.
A spokesperson for the Fairfax County Police confirmed that officers had responded to the incident involving a Supreme Court Justice’s house. The spokesperson detailed that the call came through the non-emergency line around 9:02 p.m. and that officers promptly coordinated with Supreme Court Police at the residence, quickly determining the report was false. They stated that no further police resources were deployed.
This is not the first instance of alleged threats against Barrett’s home. Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, a pro-abortion group reportedly released a map publicizing the locations of Barrett and other conservative justices to encourage protests, an action that was later removed by Google for violating service terms.
Barrett resides in Falls Church, Virginia, as noted by the New York Post. Efforts to get a comment from the Supreme Court regarding the swatting incident were unsuccessful, and the Falls Church Police Department stated they did not receive any calls related to this event.
