A group of police cruisers rushed to Disneyland on Wednesday, March 11, after 911 calls claimed there was a mass shooting at the Anaheim park—investigators later found the emergency call was an elaborate swatting hoax aimed at livestreamers broadcasting to thousands.
At least a dozen patrol cars arrived at the park around 9:45 p.m. following reports 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 that involves false emergency reports intended to provoke large police responses.
Officers secured the area but did not clear the park, which remained open while they investigated. Police quickly concluded the threats were false, with Sutter telling City News Service that the report was deemed not credible within 45 minutes. No one was hurt.
A well-known livestreamer called Oblivion was streaming from the park when security and police approached him. Video shows Disney staff and officers speaking with the streamer as he relayed the situation to his viewers.
“It’s just a random internet guy that just swatted us,” the livestreamer told officers.
Disney security eventually escorted Oblivion out of the park, saying he was “disrupting” operations. Fans met him and took photos as security led him to his car.
The Disneyland incident was one of three separate swatting calls that hit Los Angeles and Orange counties that night, all apparently aimed at social media influencers who were live streaming.
Earlier that evening, around 5 p.m., police flooded The Shops at Santa Anita in Arcadia after a 911 caller claimed people in a Journeys shoe store had rifles and bombs. Tactical officers arrived with guns drawn, ordering shoppers to the ground while a SWAT vehicle waited at the mall entrance.
The targets were livestreamers Zavalahimself and Amanda Solis, who were filming a day out with a young fan when tactical officers entered the store. Arcadia Police temporarily locked down the mall and conducted a systematic search before determining the report was a hoax.
Shortly before midnight, police descended on a Fullerton home after reports of an armed man. Officers found nothing and cleared the scene, marking a third swatting incident that night. All three calls seemed connected to social media influencers, some streaming live at the time.
No arrests have been announced, and the identity and location of the caller or callers remain unknown. Investigators are still trying to trace 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 extra vigilance at public sites.
However, the FBI alert was based on unverified intelligence, and officials stressed there is no confirmed immediate 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 reports, saying no such threat “exists, and it never did.”
Swatting has shifted from targeting individual gamers at home to striking public venues and stores. The tactic began in online gaming communities, where hostile players would find opponents’ addresses and call in false emergencies to provoke dramatic law-enforcement responses captured on livestreams. The problem has grown, with perpetrators now targeting high-profile places like theme parks and malls to attract attention and cause disruption.
The anonymity of online platforms and easy access to information have encouraged perpetrators despite serious legal penalties. Swatting endangers lives by diverting emergency resources and risking violent 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. People with tips about the Santa Anita incident can call Arcadia Police at 626-574-5151.
Disneyland resumed normal operations after the event. Park officials have not said whether specific guests or areas were named in the false reports. Police have not confirmed whether the swatting incidents were coordinated or carried out by multiple individuals.