AG Nessel speaks on political violence after the death of Charlie Kirk

The threat of political violence

We also discussed swatting, which is when someone makes a prank call to 911 and reports a fake emergency. The caller provides a real address, and police show up in full force.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Ever since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the subject of political violence has been front and center as the threat of it is very real and very troubling.

The backstory:

Swatting is when someone makes a prank call to 911 and reports a fake emergency. The caller provides a real address, and police show up in full force. The person who lives at the address is often targeted and has no idea what's going on. 

Needless to say, it’s a troubling and scary situation that can sometimes be dangerous.

What they're saying:

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says this is becoming more common, and she wants to see stricter penalties for those who engage in swatting—making these prank calls or sending prank emails.

She notes that the people targeted by swatting are often elected officials.

"This is a non-partisan issue. Unfortunately, we’re seeing this happen across the board to elected officials who are Republicans who are Democrats, as well as non-partisan government officials," said Nessel. "What I’m very afraid of is that, between the increase in threats that you are seeing as well as swatting, good people just aren’t going to want to serve in elected office anymore."

She went on to say that it's not just high-profile political positions she's worried about. She's also concerned about local government roles, like school board and city council, where people might decide it's not worth it and choose not to run.