In a concerning turn of events, the White House became the latest target of a disturbing and growing problem in the United States known as "swatting." This dangerous act involves the fraudulent summoning of a large number of law enforcement personnel and other emergency responders to a hoax emergency incident.

On Monday, an emergency call was received at 7.03am, indicating a fire and a person trapped within the White House premises. Multiple fire and ambulance crews from Washington DC rushed to the scene, but it was soon discovered that the call had originated from a fake number and was determined to be false.

A spokesperson for the District of Columbia fire and emergency medical services reported that a "significant" number of personnel had already reached the site when the call was deemed a hoax, just over 15 minutes later. Fortunately, President Joe Biden was not present at the residence during the incident.

The Secret Service, responsible for the White House's security, directed requests for comment to the DC emergency services. Details of the dispatch radio call reporting the fire were revealed by CNN, indicating that it was made at 7.04am, just one minute after the initial phone call.

Sadly, this incident is part of a troubling trend, with an increasing number of politicians, judges, and other prominent officials falling victim to swatting in recent weeks. One notable incident occurred eight days prior when police responded to a false report of a shooting at the home of Tanya Chutkan, the judge overseeing Donald Trump's federal election subversion case in Washington DC. Another swatting incident targeted Judge Arthur Engoron, presiding over Trump's civil financial fraud trial in New York, with a bomb threat.

In addition to judges, three members of Congress have also been subject to these alarming pranks. Senator Rick Scott, a Republican from Florida, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, and Shenna Bellows, Maine's secretary of state, have all faced swatting incidents. Bellows notably removed Trump's name from the 2024 presidential ballot last month due to his involvement in the January 6 insurrection.

Attorney General Merrick Garland expressed deep concern over the swatting incidents, describing them as "deeply disturbing" in a recent private meeting with justice department officials aimed at addressing violent crime.

President Joe Biden, after spending the weekend at Camp David in Maryland and attending a Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemoration in Philadelphia on Monday morning, is expected to return to the White House in the afternoon. It is crucial that law enforcement authorities remain vigilant and take necessary measures to combat the increasing menace of swatting, ensuring the safety and security of public officials and the wider community.