Rapper Nicki Minaj appears to have become a target of a swatting after someone falsely reported a shooting at her home in Hidden Hills, California, on Wednesday evening.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department received a report of an assault with a deadly weapon in the Grammy winner’s gated community at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday, a department spokesperson told Los Angeles Times.
The spokesperson added that an emergency call was made to authorities claiming a friend shot a black female adult, and warned that two potential suspects, clad in all-black, were still at the residence.
After responding to the scene and finding no evidence of a crime, deputies eventually determined that the call was a swatting incident.
The term “swatting” refers to an anonymous attacker targets someone by making a false call to emergency services — using anonymous tools like Google Voice or VPNs to make it appear the call is coming from a certain location — and telling authorities a murder or hostage event is transpiring at a particular address. Swatting is designed to prompt SWAT teams to arrive at the targeted home and descend on unsuspecting victims, which in the past has lead to deadly encounters and murder charges for the offender.
While the Sheriff’s Department did not reveal if the apparent swatting call was made for Minaj’s residence, one of her neighbors confirmed to Los Angeles Times that law enforcement responded to the “Super Bass” singer’s house.
This is not be the first time Minaj appears to have been targeted in a swatting attack.
In 2023, Sheriff’s deputies responded to the “Starships” singer’s house after someone placed a bogus call to authorities claiming Minaj’s residence was on fire, where instances of child abuse had been transpiring, according to a report by TMZ.
One month after that, another call was made to authorities falsely reporting a shooting at the same home.
Minaj is among several other celebrities — including Miley Cyrus, Ashton Kutcher, Justin Bieber, Tom Cruise, Kris Jenner, Paris Hilton, Rihanna, and Justin Timberlake — who have been targeted by swatters, TMZ noted.
Swatting calls appear to have become a growing problem in recent months.
As Breitbart News reported, at least 15 figures in conservative politics and media were swatted within the course of one week last month, sparking questions as to who is engaging in what Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) called “domestic terrorism and attempted murder.”
FBI Director Kash Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino have also reacted to the wave of dangerous crimes.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
