Los Angeles authorities are investigating a swatting episode that unfolded throughout a weekend livestream hosted by DDG. The hoax, carried out on Sunday as he broadcast a paintball match, drew a swift, closely armed police response—the newest instance of a harmful development focusing on public figures.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department instructed AllHipHop that investigators are working to establish whoever positioned the false 911 name. The caller claimed “a male adult was brandishing and firing a weapon, threatening to harm those nearby,” spurring deputies to hurry to the situation.

When officers arrived, DDG was nonetheless on digital camera. No one was bodily harmed, however the disruption was jarring. DDG’s supervisor and legal professional, Dimitri Hurt, instructed TMZ hip hop, “The anonymous caller fabricated a narrative suggesting that DDG was armed and posed a danger, resulting in an unnecessary and heavily armed police reaction at a peaceful paintball live streaming event. This irresponsible and malicious act disrupted the tournament, generated undue panic among attendees, and put everyone present—law enforcement included—at risk.”

The Escalating Swatting Problem

Hurt later emphasised the psychological toll. “The arrival of officers under the false assumption that you are armed is an intensely distressing and traumatic experience. While we are grateful that no one was physically injured, the emotional impact and disruption to the event atmosphere were significant.”

Swatting—the act of constructing a false emergency report to impress a significant police deployment—was as soon as an obscure type of harassment. In latest years, it has more and more been geared toward outstanding figures, particularly these with giant on-line followings. Recent examples embrace allegations from Lauren Pisciotta, a former assistant to Ye (previously often known as Kanye West), who accused the rapper of orchestrating a swatting incident towards her after she made misconduct claims. West’s representatives have firmly denied the accusation, calling it “absurd and outlandish.”

The DDG case underscores how rapidly a false report can flip unstable, placing each the supposed goal and responding officers in danger. As the investigation strikes ahead, advocates are calling for stricter penalties and higher public consciousness to curb a type of harassment that has grown alarmingly widespread.