Joshua Peters is a gamer and veteran of the Air Force. He makes his living playing Clash of Clans and Runescape Online, live streaming on Twitch to thousands of viewers under the name Koopatroopa787. On Thursday, Josh was interrupted during his stream when the St. Cloud Police Department in Minnesota entered his home after someone reported a gunman killed his roommate at the residence. Joshua and his family were victims of an escalated form of internet trolling known as “swatting.”

For those unfamiliar, “swatting” is when someone makes an anonymous call to the victim’s local police department claiming there is some sort of violent situation inside the home (usually a hostage situation or a murder), in an attempt to get the SWAT team dispatched to the residence.

Joshua and his family were understandably shaken by the invasion and he later had this to say to his Twitch audience:

 I had police point a gun at my little brothers because of you. They could have been shot, they could have died. Because you chose to swat my stream. I don’t give a shit about what you have against me, or what I did to you. For that I am at a loss for words. Your gripe is with me. But do not involve my family in this. They don’t deserve it.

The attackers called police again a few hours after the incident, saying Peters was despondent and suicidal because of it. This time police just called to make sure everything was okay.

Authorities are not taking this new form of cyber terrorism lightly. On February 6, 19-year-old Brandon Wilson was arrested in Las Vegas for allegedly calling in a false report in a separate swatting incident in Naperville, Illinois. Wilson also threatened the victim’s bank and Social Security accounts, claiming he would put the person’s father “in debt for life.” Wilson is currently awaiting extradition to Illinois and faces up to five years in prison on two counts of computer tampering and one count each of intimidation, computer fraud, identity theft and disorderly conduct.

Are you a gamer? How do you feel about this new trend in terrorism? Post your comments below!

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