Over the last few months, a disturbing trend has emerged on the live streaming platform Twitch, with an increasing number of US-based drag queens being swatted. Armed police are dispatched to a person’s home following a hoax tip from an unknown caller in a swatting. Authorities arrive at the home of the unsuspecting individual, believing they are holding others hostage, have committed a crime, are threatening to kill themselves, or have other sinister motives.
In many cases, the situation is quickly resolved when the police discover there is nothing suspicious at the home of the alleged suspect. Swattings, on the other hand, can result in serious injuries or death in some cases, particularly if the victim is a person of color. Casey Viner, then 19 years old, was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2019 for his role in the infamous 2017 revenge swatting that resulted in 28-year-old Andrew Finch being fatally shot by police.
Whatever the outcome, swattings can be extremely traumatic for the victim, especially if they occur in large groups in your neighborhood. Several members of the Stream Queens, a group of drag queen Twitch streamers, have recently been doxxed (when someone publishes private information about you online) and then swatted. Residents have even programmed the non-emergency police number into their phones, expecting to be the next victims.
