Indiana state senators report swatting incidents after objections to redistricting push

Several Indiana Republican state senators this week have reported that they were targets of swatting incidents, after they objected to the Trump administration's push to redraw their congressional districts.

Indiana GOP Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray confirmed last week that the Senate does not have the votes necessary to advance a redistricting effort in a potential special session next month after eight state senators said they would not support it. 

Indiana GOP Sens. Dan Dernulc, Spencer Deery and Rick Niemeyer all told The Hill that they and their families were victims of different swatting incidents in the past week. State Sen. Gregory Goode was also victim of a swatting incident over the weekend.

Swatting is when an individual calls 911 to report a knowingly false crime in order to trigger a massive police presence at the residence or business.

Dernulc said he was the victim of a swatting incident but that local law enforcement officials were "quick" to realize it was fake.

“It is scary and shocking to me that someone would go so far to try to cause harm or fear to me or my family,” he told the outlet. “I have always done my best to serve my community, be their voice, and work alongside them and my colleagues at the Statehouse to help make Indiana a great state.”

Deery said his incident was resolved without officials putting his children or nearby children in a stressful situation, and that it came a day after someone delivered an unpaid pizza to his house.

“This may seem like a harmless prank, and it certainly isn’t as serious as a swatting, but it still is an attempt to intimidate an elected official by conveying ‘we know where you live,'" he said of the pizza incident. "Even this less serious tactic should be condemned and never normalized.”

The incidents come after President Donald Trump urged Indiana voters to primary the Republican state senators who oppose the redistricting effort, but Trump has never called for illegal activity such as swatting or doxxing.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.