Transcript for Teen Fortnite champion victim of ‘swatting’
Now to that s.w.a.t.ing scare for the 16-year-old fortnight champion. Police surrounding his home while he was in the middle of a game believing the teen had committed a crime. T.J. Is here with that story for us and this is a seriously dangerous prank. Dangerous and it has proven deadly in the past. In this case a S.W.A.T. Team showed up, surrounded a Pennsylvania home thinking that a teenager had killed his dad and was holding his mom hostage. What was really going on in that a teenager was playing a video game but not just any teen. There was a reason this teen was possibly a prankster’s target. Reporter: He’s the 16-year-old newly crowned best gamer in the world after winning the fortnight world cup last month and taking home the $3 million prize. It’s prael surreal. I got out there and played amazing. Reporter: But Kyle giersdorf bailed on his friends during a fortnight live session after his dad interrupts. Dad, I can’t. I got s.w.a.t.ed. Reporter: He believes he’s been s.w.a.t.ed and abruptly leaves the live stream. Did he just leave mid game? Reporter: S.w.a.t.ing is a potentially deadly prank, when someone calls authorities directing them to an innocent person’s home. In this case, the prankster reported bug ga just shot his father. He said he tide up his mother in the got and shot up his father. Reporter: Bug ga returned to the game ten minutes later. Fortunately one of the officers lived in the neighborhood and recognized him. Dude, they came in with guns, bro. Some people are actually — Dude, I can’t believe someone actually did that. Reporter: In this case no one was harmed but s.w.a.t.ing has been deadly in the past. In 2017, 28-year-old Andrew finch was playing the video game call of duty when a competitor called in a false hostage report directing police to his home. Show your hands! Reporter: Finch was shot and killed by police. The FBI estimates roughly 400 cases of s.w.a.t.ing happen every year. Bug ga’s dad Glen tells ABC news to the individual who attempted to have our home s.w.a.t.ed and could have possibly gotten someone injured in the process, I don’t hate you. I’m sorry that your life has brought you to this. And that person that called in the call that got someone killed actually got 20 years in prison for that. And this has been a problem in the gaming community because there’s a voi ar is tick element to it. They’re playing live online so you can see the result of your prank when you call it in and see if police show up. So this has been an issue in the gaming community for years now but it can be deadly. Got lucky on this one but this has been an issue. Big issue, unnecessary issue. It’s a prank. We call it a prank. It’s not a prank. It’s too serious. Thank you, T.J. Now to the investigation
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
