Last month, Ned Luke, the actor who played Michael De Santa in GTA 5 was swathed while hosting a livestream on Thanksgiving. The actor was swatted again, although it appears the perpetrator(s) was not as successful as the last time.
Swatting is a term used to describe an “expensive” prank where an individual calls the police to an address stating that a serious crime is ongoing. The reported crime is often so serious, prompting the police to send an armed response comprising elite forces (often involving the SWAT team).
Swatting is a risky prank that may have fatal consequences—although none of the previously reported celebrity swatting has ever degenerated to that level. The 37-second video was shared on X by @DramaAlert, a handle described as the leading source of news in online entertainment.
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Ned Luke was enjoying a drive in his favorite game when he received a call. What we found interesting was how he properly parked his car close to the sidewalk before taking the call—as if he was in a real-world scenario.
“What’s going on, let’s see,” Ned Luke said before picking up the phone. He flashed the phone screen in front of the camera as if trying to expose the caller ID to his viewers before answering the call.
“Hey guys, I’m getting swatted, isn’t that great?” Ned Luke said casually with a laugh. “So they knew you were live. Alright, I will be right back guys.” He left his chair for a couple of minutes and when he returned, he said, “Alright, that was fun. Ah… Nice try. Didn’t work. Didn’t work. Just another day in the neighborhood. Just like Mr. Rogers.”
Why is Ned Luke suddenly the target for swatting?
It is hard to tell why Ned Luke has suddenly become the target for swatting. Although the prankster was not successful this time, previous attempts have brought a large number of officers to his New York residence.
The last time the swatting incident happened, some sympathizers called out Rockstar Games for failing to hide the IP address of players from Modders which puts players at risk of having their personal information including location exposed to the public.
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The claim starts to make sense when you consider the fact that Ned Luke is now frequently being swatted when he is on livestream. In other words, it simply means the perpetrator(s) enjoy disrupting his livestreams.
The last time he was swatted, Ned Luke defended Rockstar Games saying celebrity details can easily be found online for anyone who is dumb enough to look. The GTA 5 actor has amassed over 176,000 subscribers since he started sharing his content on YouTube.
When the video from the December 29 incident was shared, many sympathizers also wondered why the actor was being swatted. In addition to that, some called for the perpetrator(s) to be arrested and charged. “It’s not even funny. These kids need to be arrested,” wrote @ViolentFight.
However, tracking and arresting swatters is usually not easy. Firstly, when a distress call is made, the police are usually focused on getting the location of the said incident rather than obtaining the caller’s location and identity.
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Secondly, the evolution of technology has made it easy for bad actors to perfectly mask their locations—even their voices—when making such anonymous calls.
In 2013, several celebrities including Tom Cruise, Chris Brown, Clint Eastwood, Selena Gomez, and Miley Cyrus were all swatted in a space of a few months. There were no reports of arrests in all of the cases. Unless people start getting arrested for swatting, the trend will likely continue.
