A Texas home belonging to the family of singer D4vd was reportedly targeted last month in an act of "swatting."
According to TMZ, police were called to the Hempstead, Texas residence on Sept. 18, less than two weeks after Los Angeles police discovered the body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas in the trunk of a Tesla belonging to D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke.
A 911 caller had reported hearing shots from the home, along with a woman screaming and a person being dead. Instead, they found D4vd's parents at home, undisturbed and confused.
"You can also hear in audio captured by the body cam ... D4vd’s mom telling cops there are 4 people who live in the house, and that her daughter and son are upstairs. D4vd has a younger brother and sister, so it seems D4vd was not there at the time ... or, if so, his parents didn't mention him," TMZ said.
D4vd's father can also be heard saying someone was messing with the family, and after the singer's mother expressed concern someone might be on their property, police promised to check.
In the end, there was no one in the area, and police chalked the bizarre incident up to "swatting."
What is 'swatting'?
According to an official pamphlet published by the Department of Homeland Security, swatting is "a malicious act that can involve placing false emergency calls to emergency responders, often reporting a (false) severe, ongoing crisis at a specific location."
The goal of a swatting prank is to trigger a significant law enforcement response, which can sometimes lead to violence.
Swatting often involves claims of violent crimes in the act, and swatters may target "individuals, businesses, government officials, schools, faith-based institutions, and even federal facilities."
If caught, swatting is a federal crime that carries potentially serious legal consequences.
D4vd, Celeste Rivas linked
So far, police have not charged D4vd with any crime related to Rivas' death. Also, no official cause of death has been released for the teenage runaway from Lake Elsinore, California.
However, D4vd has been under public suspicion since Rivas' body was discovered. In addition to the body being found in D4vd's Tesla, he and Rivas reportedly had matching tattoos, and Rivas' mother has said she believed her daughter was dating a man named David.
TMZ Live reported last week that there was a “consensus” among D4vd’s friends and acquaintances that he and Celeste were a couple. TMZ sources added that those "in the scene" also believed Celeste was older, around 19 years old.
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