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Jan. 8, 2024Jefferson City, Mo. |  By: AP

Missouri secretary of state is safe after shooting falsely reported at his home

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said Monday that he and his family are safe after someone called police to report a fake shooting at their home.

Ashcroft said Jefferson City police called him Sunday to check in after receiving a call about a shooting at his house that night.

Ashcroft said he at one point walked out of his home with his hands in the air as armed police waited for him outside. Ashcroft, his wife and children were not hurt.

“I’m so thankful the Jefferson City Police Department handled the situation with an extreme amount of professionalism and that no one was hurt. It is unfortunate their resources and manpower had to be used on a prank,” Ashcroft said in a statement. “I am hopeful those responsible for such childish, cowardice acts will be brought to justice.”

An Associated Press call to Jefferson City police requesting additional information about the incident was not immediately returned Monday.

There has been a spate of recent so-called swatting attacks against public officials across the U.S. Swatting is the act of making a prank call to emergency services to get authorities, particularly a SWAT team, to show up.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost have been among the victims.