State House lockdown latest example in political swatting trend

Unidentified callers phoning fake threats of violence to 911 have launched massive police responses in recent months to the homes of prominent political figures and state capitol buildings, including last week in Annapolis. The dangerous hoax, known as “swatting,” is meant to draw a heavily armed police presence — often SWAT teams — to a specific location to intimidate or harass innocent people, and has been increasingly used against political figures.