Justice Amy Coney Barrett Targeted by Attempted ‘Swatting’ Incident

Fairfax authorities coordinated with Supreme Court police to halt any intrusion, realizing the call about gunshots nearby was false.

Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett

Justice Amy Coney Barrett was the target of a foiled “swatting” incident at her home in Virginia on Wednesday. Rod Lamkey/AP

Police intervened to halt a potential “swatting” incident targeting Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Wednesday night. A call to a police nonemergency line by someone claiming to be Barrett’s neighbor was made after 9 p.m. and targeted Barrett’s home in Fairfax County, Virginia, that she shares with her husband and children, police said.

“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 to NBC News and several other outlets. “No additional police resources were utilized.”

Police dispatched to Barrett’s home determined that the report was fabricated after speaking with the justice’s security detail.