A number of police cruisers flooded Disneyland on Wednesday, March 11, after 911 operators received reports of a mass shooting at the Anaheim park—only for investigators to find the emergency call was an elaborate swatting hoax aimed at livestreamers broadcasting to large audiences.
At least a dozen patrol cars arrived at the park around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday following tips about a possible mass shooting and bomb threats. Anaheim police Sgt. Matt Sutter told KTLA that authorities believed the incident was a swatting call, a dangerous criminal prank that uses false emergency reports to prompt a heavy law enforcement response.
Officers secured the area but did not clear the park, which stayed open while they investigated. Police quickly concluded the threats were bogus, with Sutter telling City News Service that investigators deemed the report not credible within 45 minutes. No one was hurt.
A well-known livestreamer who goes by Oblivion was streaming from the park when security and police approached him. Video shows Disney staff and officers questioning the streamer, who relayed the events to his online 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 after an employee said he was “disrupting” business. Fans met the streamer and took photos as security led him to his car.
The Disneyland episode was one of three separate swatting incidents that affected Los Angeles and Orange counties Wednesday night, all of which appeared to target social media influencers who were live streaming.
Earlier that evening, around 5 p.m., police swarmed The Shops at Santa Anita in Arcadia after a caller told 911 that people inside a Journeys shoe outlet were armed with rifles and bombs. Officers in tactical gear entered with weapons drawn, ordering shoppers onto the floor 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 stormed into the store. Arcadia Police placed the mall in a temporary lockdown and conducted a systematic search before concluding the call was a hoax.
Shortly before midnight, officers converged on a home in Fullerton after reports of a man with a firearm. They found nothing and cleared the scene, marking the third swatting event that night. All three calls seemed aimed at social media figures, some of whom were live at the time.
No arrests have been made, and the caller or callers’ identities and locations remain unknown. Investigators are still working to trace the origin of the hoax calls. Swatting is a serious crime under both state and federal law, and perpetrators can face charges including false reporting of an emergency.
The incidents unfolded 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 sites.
However, the FBI alert relied on unverified intelligence, and officials stressed there was no confirmed imminent threat. Governor Gavin Newsom posted 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 pushed back on initial reporting, stating that no such threat “exists, and it never did.”
Swatting has shifted from targeting individual gamers at home to hitting public venues and businesses. 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. In recent years, the trend has escalated, with perpetrators targeting high-profile spots like theme parks and malls to draw more attention and disruption.
The anonymity of online platforms and the easy access to personal information have encouraged perpetrators despite severe legal penalties. 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. Anyone with details about the Santa Anita incident can reach Arcadia Police at 626-574-5151.
Disneyland resumed normal operations after the event. Park officials have not said whether particular guests or locations were named in the false reports. Police have not confirmed whether the swatting incidents were coordinated or the actions of multiple perpetrators.
