Anderson Cooper has been “swatted” in the latest play-out of an increasingly popular and very dangerous prank played on celebrities.
While Anderson Cooper was swatted on Long Island, for the most part, the prank has been perpetrated by hoaxsters on Hollywood stars in Los Angeles — where police are at least very aware of the trick.
Swatting has gained popularity in 2013, with a host of celebs subject to the terrifying practical joke.
Anderson Cooper is just the latest to fall victim, but Ryan Seacrest , Rihanna, Russell Brand, Ashton Kutcher and several other celebrities have been targets of the hoax.
What happens is an anonymous party calls in a report to cops of an unfolding situation at the home of a celebrity — usually one severe enough to warrant a heavy and swift police response, hence the “SWAT” in “swatting.”
The New York Post reports upon the swatting of Anderson Cooper in Quoigue, NY, a Hamptons-area town “out East.”
The paper says that a report was received by police necessitating a response, explaining:
“A 911 caller last month told Southampton Town cops a man had just shot his wife at the CNN anchor’s home in Quiogue. Cops from four departments flooded the streets but found no signs of a shooting, sources said.”
Luckily, Cooper was not at the home when the swatting occurred.
Police have struggled to respond to the issue of swatting due to its rising popularity. While swatting has not resulted in any injury so far, the presence of an armed SWAT team without a homeowner’s knowledge could present danger to the people living at the residence who are unaware of the hoax.
Anderson Cooper has not officially commented on the swatting.
