Hoffman
A candidate who ran for Columbus City Council last year was an apparent victim of a “swatting” incident Wednesday after someone falsely claimed there had been a homicide and a hostage incident at his home, police confirmed Thursday.
Columbus police were dispatched at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday to a residence on Chandler Lane after a 911 caller made the false report. Police found no one at the home, and now are investigating an apparent case of criminal harassment that sent multiple police units to the home of Paul and Kimberly Hoffman.
Columbus Police Department Lt. Alyson Eichel said in an email Thursday, “we take these matters seriously and are fully committed to investigating this incident to its entirety.” She said police had not identified a suspect but added “It’s still early, and we are diligently working to gather more information.”
Eichel said “Columbus police received a call from a man who said that he had killed a woman and had another man tied up” in a house on Chandler Lane. “The man also said that he was armed with an assault rifle, and then disconnected from dispatch. Due to the circumstances and the nature of the emergency, officers had to force entry into the house, and we are thankful no one was found inside.
“The swift and diligent response from our law enforcement officers highlights our dedication to ensuring the safety of our residents.”
Among the emergency responders at the scene was Bartholomew County sheriff’s Deputy Matt Bush. As police were entering the home, he noticed a package on the porch addressed to the homeowners, Paul and Kimberly Hoffman. The Hoffmans happen to be Bush’s aunt and uncle, and were spending the holidays with Paul’s father in Wisconsin.
Bush texted his aunt and uncle and told them to call right away.
“My nephew said (to other officers on the scene), ‘Wait a minute. This is my aunt’s house. Paul wouldn’t do that,’” Paul said by phone Thursday.
The Hoffmans moved into the house in September. Paul, an author, publisher and former Republic special publications editor, was a candidate for Columbus City Council at-large in the 2023 municipal election and previously ran for Bartholomew County Council.
Being hundreds of miles away and enjoying a family holiday visit, Paul said his first concern was making sure the door was fixed and the house secure, so he called a relative back home who was able to do that. His wife’s first response was to wonder why this happened.
“I was pretty shocked and I’m still upset,” Kimberly said of the call that led police to the family’s home. “It’s just really hard to understand why someone would do something like that.
“It also scared our neighbors. They were calling us saying, ‘Are you OK?’,” she said. “It was concerning for a lot of people.”
Swatting refers to a malicious prank or form of harassment in which someone makes a false report of a serious crime, prompting a significant law enforcement response. Recently, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida have been among high-profile victims.
Swatting is a crime that has become common enough that the FBI has established a national database to track reports. The calls can be dangerous, even deadly. For instance, a man in Wichita, Kansas, was erroneously killed by police in 2017 after a rival Ohio video gamer also made a false report of a shooting and possible hostage situation at the man’s house. More recently, a Tennessee man died of a heart attack as a result of a swatting case.
“The individuals who engage in this activity use technology, such as caller ID spoofing, social engineering, TTY, and prank calls to make it appear that the emergency call is coming from the victim’s phone,” the FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office said in a press release in September.
“Traditionally, law enforcement has seen swatters directing their actions toward individuals and residences. Increasingly, the FBI sees swatters targeting public places such as airports, schools, and businesses. Another recent trend is so-called celebrity swatting, where the targeted victims are well-known personalities.”
The Hoffmans said they have been cooperating with police, and they wonder why they might have been targeted. They also ponder how things might have turned out differently had they been at home when police responded, called to their home on the false belief that a killer was inside.
“Your mind just sort of races on all these different things,” Paul said. “… What have I done? Who have I offended? … The way things are these days, people just go over the top, and you just don’t know.
“… I just hope they figure out a way to be able to track some of this stuff,” he said.
Eichel said police are “actively engaged in the investigation, and we want to emphasize that we will not tolerate this type of behavior. Such actions not only jeopardize public safety but also divert valuable resources from genuine emergencies.
“We appreciate the community’s cooperation and understanding as we work together to maintain a secure environment for all.”
