WASHINGTON: A significant number of emergency personnel rushed to the White House on Monday following a 911 call reporting a fire and a person trapped inside. The call, made at 7.03am ET (5.03pm PST), was traced to a fake number, leading to a swift response from multiple fire and emergency units.

President Joe Biden, who spent the weekend at Camp David, was not present on the White House grounds during the false alarm. However, a substantial DC Fire and EMS response was already on the site when it was confirmed to be a hoax.

The Secret Service, which looks after the White House, directed inquiries to Washington’s Fire Department and Emergency Services. The false call was identified as a “swatting” incident _ a dangerous criminal hoax aimed at luring law enforcement to a location under false pretenses.

This deceptive tactic often involves reports of heinous crimes like mass shooting, bombings, or hostage situations.

Swatting has become a concerning trend, targeting federal officials, politicians, and celebrities nationwide. Recent victims include Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, the New York judge overseeing Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial, and the DC judge handling Trump’s federal election subversion case.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

Gag orders
Updated 26 Jan, 2025

Gag orders

Coercive policies must be abandoned for constitutional freedoms to be inviolable.
Murder on the seas
26 Jan, 2025

Murder on the seas

IT is time Pakistan asserted itself more forcefully and played a bigger role in busting international human...
A free lunch
26 Jan, 2025

A free lunch

THE federal government appears to have gone back on its word to rescind the facility of free electricity for both...
Stalled talks
Updated 25 Jan, 2025

Stalled talks

It would have been wiser for PTI to not react to the provocation. However bitter their differences, both parties need something from each other.
Bureaucratic approach
25 Jan, 2025

Bureaucratic approach

WHEN bureaucrats fancy themselves as scholars, universities suffer. It’s a pity this is a lesson the Sindh...
West Bank’s turn
Updated 25 Jan, 2025

West Bank’s turn

It is highly likely that Israel will try and annex the West Bank, with the Trump admin egging it on.