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

By SUMMER BALLENTINE
Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft says he and his family are safe after someone called police to report a fake shooting at their home. Ashcroft says Jefferson City police called him Sunday after receiving a report about a shooting at his house. Ashcroft says he walked out of his house with his hands in the air as armed police waited for him outside. Ashcroft, his wife and children were not hurt. 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.