JoJo Siwa ‘Didn’t Think’ She Needed Extra Security Until After Being Swatted

Joelle Joanie, better known as “JoJo Siwa,” and her role on the hit reality TV show Dance Moms, was left in shock and disbelief after a shocking recent incident. This unexpected event occurred after the singer’s newly released single, Guilty Pleasure. The incident was so jarring that she had to hire security.

Siwa’s Guilty Pleasure song and video, released July 12, has received 2.3 million views and garnered much attention. In her E! interview, the singer expressed that the “attention and fanfare” she’s been receiving is “different.” She returned home to find her home filled with the SWAT team. This incident has significantly altered Siwa’s perception of her safety, as she expressed in the same interview that the police asked her, “Why do you not have security with you at this moment?” Siwa responded, “I didn’t think I needed it, but now I need it daily.”

Swatting is a jeopardizing prank call practice with serious and potentially fatal consequences. It involves notifying emergency services and sending them urgently to a location. Tragically, fatal incidents can result from these prank calls, such as the events in 2017 of Andrew Finch in Wichita, Kansas. There was a report of a shooting and kidnapping at Finch’s residence due to an online gaming call, and he was shot and killed as he responded to police. Since the incident, there has been a rising influence in change to prevent the unimaginable.

Swatting has targeted several celebrities, leading to frequent and unwarranted visits from law enforcement. One such celebrity is Nicki Minaj, the artist behind Roman’s Revenge. She has been a victim of swatting, but she fought back. Minaj threatened to report the swatter’s contact information to authorities, which could lead to an arrest warrant and hold them accountable for their actions.

Last year, the FBI took a significant step in combating swatting by implementing a national online database. This database is designed to coordinate reports of swatting incidents, facilitating information sharing between hundreds of police departments and law enforcement agencies nationwide. While it’s unclear if this database can prevent swatting, it’s crucial in raising awareness and understanding of this growing issue.