A group of police vehicles converged on Disneyland on Wednesday, March 11, after 911 callers reported a mass shooting at the Anaheim park—only for detectives to learn the call was a complex swatting hoax aimed at livestreamers broadcasting to large audiences.
About a dozen patrol cars sped to the park at roughly 9:45 p.m. Wednesday following claims of a possible mass shooting and bomb threats. Anaheim police Sgt. Matt Sutter told KTLA that investigators suspected the incident was a swatting call, a dangerous hoax in which false emergency reports are made to provoke an extensive law enforcement reaction.
Officers secured the area but did not evacuate the park, which stayed open during the probe. Police soon concluded the threats were fabricated; Sutter told City News Service they found the report not credible within about 45 minutes. No one was injured.
A well-known livestreamer using the name Oblivion was streaming from the park when security and police approached him. Footage shows Disney staff and officers questioning the streamer, who relayed the situation to his viewers.
“It’s just a random internet guy that just swatted us,” the livestreamer told officers.
Disney security ultimately escorted Oblivion out of the park, with staff saying he was “disrupting” business. Fans gathered to greet him and take photos as security led him to his car.
The Disneyland event was one of three separate swatting reports that affected Los Angeles and Orange counties Wednesday night, all seemingly aimed at social media influencers who were live-streaming.
Earlier that evening, around 5 p.m., police descended on The Shops at Santa Anita in Arcadia after a 911 caller alleged people in a Journeys shoe store were armed with rifles and bombs. Tactical officers arrived with weapons drawn, directing shoppers to the ground while a SWAT vehicle positioned outside the mall entrance.
The targets were livestreamers Zavalahimself and Amanda Solis, who were streaming a day out with a young fan when tactical officers entered the store. Arcadia Police Department officials temporarily locked down the mall while they conducted a thorough search before determining the report was a hoax.
Shortly before midnight, officers swarmed a Fullerton residence after a report of a man with a gun. They found nothing and cleared the scene, marking the third swatting incident that night. All three calls appeared connected to social media influencers, some of whom were live at the time.
No arrests have been made, and the identity and whereabouts of the caller or callers are still unknown. Investigators are continuing efforts to trace the origin of the hoax calls. Swatting is a serious crime under state and federal law, and perpetrators can face charges such as false reporting of an emergency.
The incidents came amid heightened security concerns across California. An FBI memo circulated to state law enforcement in late February warned that Iran “allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack” using drones from unidentified vessels off the California coast, prompting increased vigilance at public venues.
That FBI alert was based on unverified intelligence, and officials have stressed there is no confirmed imminent threat. Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on social media: “While we are not aware of any imminent threats at this time, we remain prepared for any emergency in our state.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt disputed early reporting, saying no such threat “exists, and it never did.”
Swatting has shifted from assaults on individual gamers in their homes to targeting public locations and businesses. The tactic began in online gaming circles, where hostile players would find opponents’ addresses and call in fake emergencies to provoke dramatic responses captured on livestreams. In recent years, the behavior has escalated, with perpetrators now aiming at high-profile sites like theme parks and malls to garner attention and disruption.
The anonymity of online platforms and the ease of gathering information have encouraged perpetrators despite the serious legal risks. Swatting endangers lives by diverting emergency resources and creating potentially lethal confrontations between heavily armed officers and unsuspecting people.
The Anaheim Police Department asks anyone with information about the hoax calls to contact them at (714) 765-1900. Those with details about the Santa Anita incident can reach Arcadia Police at 626-574-5151.
Disneyland returned to normal operations after the event. Park officials have not said whether particular guests or locations were singled out in the false reports. Police have not confirmed if the swatting incidents were coordinated or carried out by multiple individuals.
