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Nicki Minaj recently became the victim of swatting, and the news comes amidst reports of various other similar incidents. On July 29, 2023, a call was made to 911, saying that someone was shot inside Nicki's residence in San Fernando Valley.
The police officers immediately arrived at her residence, and Minaj expressed her dissatisfaction with the same. The identification of the man who made the call remains unknown. However, cops have already launched an investigation to find the details.
Nicki Minaj is not the only celebrity to have fallen victim to a swatting incident. Apart from the rapper, swatting calls have been made to Justin Bieber, Tom Cruise, and many other celebrities.
Nicki Minaj first became the victim of swatting in June 2023
The call made to Nicki Minaj's house on Saturday was not the first time the rapper experienced swatting. A similar incident had happened to her before back in June of this year, where the cops received an anonymous call reporting an incident of child abuse.
The New York Post stated that the caller falsely told the child services that Nicki's son was the abuse victim, and the police officers came to her house in Los Angeles. The law enforcement officials checked on Nicki's son and also spoke to her and her husband, Kenneth Petty. However, the authorities did not find any abuse signs and called it a swatting prank.
This was not the end as another call was made to 911, claiming that the house of Nicki Minaj was on fire. The rapper eventually realized that it was anther swatting prank after the police officers arrived at her house at 3 am.
Nicki Minaj has reportedly hired an attorney to find the individual responsible for making the calls. However, she has not issued a statement on the swatting pranks as of yet.
The Daily Mail states that swatting refers to an act of making a false report to get a huge police reaction. This occasionally involves the SWAT team. Anyone found to be involved in swatting might be charged with a felony or misdemeanor alongside a fine and prison time. Swatting cases have witnessed an increase over the years, and around 1,000 such cases were reported by the FBI in 2019.
FBI creates a national database to keep track of swatting incidents
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, created a national database in June 2023 to keep track of the swatting incidents. While speaking to ABC News, the FBI shared a statement:
"In response to the national call on swatting, the FBI initiated the Virtual Command Center (VCC) known as the National Common Operation Picture (NCOP)."
Apart from celebrities, several colleges have been victims of swatting. A call was made to 911 in April this year, claiming about a shooter on the campus of the Catholic University of America. A similar incident happened at Boston University, where the caller reported a shooting incident inside the campus.
Aside from that, University of Oklahoma also received a similar call on April 7, 2023. Officials disclosed to the students and teachers in an email that the caller was not someone from inside the country. The cases are now being investigated by the FBI. As such, further updates are currently awaited.
