Grand Theft Auto V star Ned Luke has delivered a blunt message to online trolls who orchestrate dangerous 'swatting' raids, following the eighth such incident at his home just days before Christmas.
A Chillingly Routine Disturbance
The voice actor behind GTA 5 protagonist Michael De Santa was live-streaming GTA Online on Twitch alongside fellow actor Rob Wiethoff on 23 December when the latest intrusion occurred. Mid-broadcast, two police officers entered Luke's home, a scene captured by viewers and later shared on YouTube.
In a telling sign of how commonplace these false alarms have become, the officers casually informed Luke, 'You're getting swatted again.' The actor, familiar with at least one of the officers, remained calm, even asking them to say hello to his live audience before they departed.
A Persistent and Dangerous Harassment Campaign
Swatting, the malicious act of making a hoax emergency call to dispatch a heavily armed police SWAT team to a victim's address, remains a serious threat to streamers. It is not a harmless prank; high-profile cases have forced victims like streamer xQc to move homes, and some incidents have resulted in injury or even death.
For Ned Luke, this has been a recurring nightmare. He revealed on social media platform X in November 2023 that he had been swatted six times. A seventh incident followed just a month later, making this Christmas Eve disturbance the eighth.
'There are so many d*****bags out there,' Luke remarked to Wiethoff after the police left, his frustration palpable despite the stream quickly resuming.
Legal Repercussions Finally Loom
This time, however, the anonymous perpetrator may have gone too far. Luke recently took to Instagram to share a significant development: a letter from the US Department of Justice.
The document states that at least one individual now faces federal charges in connection with a swatting prank against the actor. A court hearing is scheduled for next month, though it is unclear if the charges relate specifically to the most recent incident.
Sharing the news, Luke posted a stark warning to any would-be harassers: 'F*** around and find out.' He ominously added, 'Many more names discovered and provided,' suggesting a wider investigation is underway.
The news comes as Luke's character, Michael, was recently added to GTA Online in a new update, allowing players to undertake missions with him and purchase luxury in-game properties. Fans continue to speculate about a potential cameo in the highly anticipated GTA 6.
