Phony hostage call leads to police incident at Parkland student’s house

A prank call claiming a hostage situation was taking place at the home of a student gun activist who survived the Parkland, Fla., mass shooting caused multiple police crews and a police helicopter to respond to David Hogg’s home on Tuesday morning. 

Coral Springs Fire Rescue arrived at Hogg’s family home in Florida and immediately found that there was no hostage situation, according to the local ABC affiliate. The Broward Sheriff County office responded with multiple crews staged outside of the home. The local NBC affiliate reported that a SWAT team surrounded the property before entering the home. 

{mosads}The report notes that Hogg was not home at the time. He is currently in Washington, D.C., with his mother to accept the RFK Human Rights award. 

ABC 10 referred to the incident as being Hogg “swatted,” which is when someone makes a prank emergency call to provoke a response of armed law enforcement officers. 

Since the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Hogg has become a vocal critic of gun laws and the National Rifle Association (NRA). He and his fellow classmates are going on a national bus tour this summer to register young people to vote. Hogg has also led protests against politicians and businesses who receive or give financial support to the NRA. 

Hogg has become a controversial figure for his actions.

In May, a Republican running for Congress accused the “March for our Lives” actvists, including Hogg and his fellow protesters, of being “pawns,” “Leftists” and “Hitlerian.”

Others have aimed their criticism at Hogg’s tactics, such as the “die in” he staged at Coral Springs Publix last week to protest the chain’s financial support for a pro-gun rights gubernatorial candidate.