Disneyland Swatting Hoax Seemingly Targeted Livestreamers

A large law enforcement presence at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, was reportedly triggered by a swatting hoax claiming a mass shooting was happening at the theme park

The fake report prompted multiple officers from the Anaheim Police Department to deploy to the area as a precaution while they investigated the situation.

Footage from the scene showed numerous patrol vehicles staged on Disneyland property as officers worked to determine whether there was a credible threat.

Police Believe Incident Was “Swatting”

Investigators later said the call appears to have been a “swatting” hoax. Swatting is when someone falsely reports a serious emergency, such as an active shooter or bomb threat, to prompt a large police response.

This prank has resulted in people being injured or killed by police in the past.

Anaheim Police Sgt. Matt Sutter told KTLA that investigators believed the report was likely a swatting incident, but that officers responded quickly to ensure guest safety.

Who was swatted?

According to NBC Los Angeles, the call happened shortly before 10 PM. Livestreamer Oblivion was seen speaking to officers, and it’s suspected that he was the intended target.

 

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Oblivion was questioned about claims made about an “altercation at the main entrance,” which the streamer denied.  The officials also asked about “multiple complaints” about their behavior. However, some who watched the stream said they were filming in a bathroom and imitating oral sex.

He continues to try to explain what is happening, but the authorities initially weren’t accepting his explanations. Disneyland officials then asked for ID, which he would not provide.

Disney trespassed and banned the streamer via the Instagram video. When the streamer questioned his ban, the official said it was his fault for livestreaming. It is likely due to certain behaviors, and his refusal to provide ID as well.

No evacuations or injuries were reported.

This could negatively impact streamers

Influencers and streamers have been coming under fire at the theme parks lately.  Most people behave appropriately, but some do wild things for views. Even the ones who don’t misbehave can become annoying if they are pushing cameras into people while filming  (I’ve seen it happen).

Now that this has escalated to a swatting attempt, Disney may ban it altogether if it is viewed as a safety hazard or potential lawsuit.

Disney has encouraged this type of culture by offering media or special access to bigger social media stars.

It will be interesting to see how this turns out.

What do you think? Comment and let us know.