Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's residence in Fairfax County, Virginia became the target of a swatting call Wednesday night, law enforcement confirmed Thursday. The false emergency report came through the police department's nonemergency line just after 9 p.m. ET.
A caller claiming to be a neighbor reported gunshots at the address, according to a police dispatch recording obtained by NBC Washington. Officers who responded quickly coordinated with Supreme Court Police personnel already stationed at the residence and determined the call was fictitious. Fairfax County police noted in a statement that "no additional police resources were utilized."
Dispatch records show operators flagged uncertainty about whether the report constituted an actual emergency, noting the address "has 24-hour security coverage for a high-priority resident of the county." A dispatcher mentioned being unable to reach the complainant by callback, raising further questions about the call's legitimacy.
Swatting involves fabricated emergency calls designed to send armed law enforcement to a target's location. The tactic, intended to harass or intimidate, has occasionally resulted in dangerous confrontations and deaths when officers arrive expecting an active threat.
Barrett, appointed to the bench by President Donald Trump in 2020, was present on the court Thursday morning for scheduled decisions. The Supreme Court's public information office did not respond to requests for comment about the incident.
This marks the latest security concern affecting the justice and her family. In March, Barrett's sister Amanda Coney Williams faced a bomb threat at her Charleston, South Carolina home. Barrett and other justices have been subject to repeated threats and harassment in recent years.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh has also been targeted. A woman was sentenced in October to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to attempting to assassinate him. She was apprehended near his Maryland home in 2022 armed with a handgun, knife, pepper spray and burglary tools.
Threats against federal judges have surged dramatically. The U.S. Marshals Service reported 564 threats against judges in fiscal year 2025. Chief Justice John Roberts highlighted the trend in his 2024 annual report, noting that threats against judges have tripled over the past decade. Many judges have reported receiving menacing messages via anonymous pizza deliveries to their homes, a tactic that has become increasingly common.
Federal judges across the country have reported an uptick in harassment and intimidation connected to their rulings, particularly those issued against former President Trump.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Swatting a Supreme Court justice's home crosses a dangerous line that puts both the justice and responding officers at risk, and it's become a disturbing pattern targeting the judiciary."
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