Justin Bieber has become the second high-profile victim of 'swatting' in a week, because some people need to get hobbies that don't include 'calling the police and reporting a major crime' and then 'snickering in the bushes when they turn up all guns a-blazing'.
Last week Ashton Kutcher's Hollywood Hills home was targeted by a swatting prank after a woman called police reporting she was trapped in the bathroom of the home after hearing shots being fired in the other room. Disclosure: she wasn't, there weren't any shots. Nevertheless the prank cost the city a reported $10,000 after a SWAT team was called out.
Ashton Kutcher joined the list of 'swatting' victims alongside Miley Cyrus
And apparently Justin Bieber's LA pad is the latest to be targeted.
Hoax
As TMZ reports, the call came in late last night, with a hoaxer claiming someone was swinging a gun around near Justin's home – situated in a pretty exclusive area in LA, near to Kourtney Kardashian and a bunch of willowy basketballers.
Police turned up to the scene with cars, helicopters and all that police jazz, only to be met by some of Justin's bewildered bodyguards. They did a sweep of the home and two other properties nearby before leaving, satisfied it was a prank. Well, not satisfied. They were probably really mad.
How Biebs might defend himself, under newly amended UK law. TOPICAL.
App
A police source told the news outlet that the hoaxer had used some sort of app to carry out the prank, presumably a voice disguise thing or something similarly Deep Throat–y. Hey, hoaxers: if you have a phone that does apps then stop doing this Boy Who Cried Wolf deal and play some Angry Birds. Jeez.