On Wednesday evening, pandemonium ensued at a bustling mall in Southern California after a fake emergency call led to a significant law enforcement mobilization. This incident unfolded while two livestreamers were sharing their day with a young admirer.
Popular Kick streamers Zavalahimself and Amanda Solis were in the midst of broadcasting their outing with a child at a Journeys store within the Westfield Santa Anita Mall. The situation escalated around 5 p.m. when police officers, weapons at the ready, stormed the location.
Officials reported that a 911 call alleged the duo inside the shop was armed with rifles and explosives, with intentions to attack the mall’s patrons.
During the livestream on Kick, the young girl could be heard expressing her fear, saying, “I’m scared.”
The alarming claim prompted an overwhelming response from both the Arcadia and Monrovia Police Departments, with officers swiftly entering the store and commanding everyone to get down.
All individuals present, including the streamers and their youthful companion, were detained momentarily while authorities conducted a thorough search. Footage captured Solis being handcuffed during the incident.
No weapons were found.
Arcadia police later determined the call was a “swatting” incident, a dangerous prank in which someone makes a false emergency report to send heavily armed police to an unsuspecting target.
The tense response drew a crowd of onlookers inside the mall, while a SWAT truck sat outside the entrance.
Swatting incidents have increasingly targeted online personalities and gamers in recent years, sometimes with deadly consequences, as prank callers attempt to provoke dramatic police responses while victims are live on camera.
Arcadia police are investigating who placed the call.
