Swatting is a trend in which anonymous callers falsely report dangerous goings on at locations in order to rain armed law enforcement onto a residence. Miley Cyrus is the first double-target of the phenomenon.
According to TMZ, a girl called authorities and claimed to be hiding in Cyrus' closet after hearing guns fired on the property on the night of May 17th. When police arrived, they found the call to be fake and Cyrus to not be home.
The Examiner reports that Cyrus is the first reported double swatting victim, recounting the first incident involving her residence in August of 2012. The long list of other swatted celebrities includes Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, and many others.
Hollywood Life speculates that the swatting trend has no indication of slowing. Police keep responding and callers are seldom found.
Though, when they are uncovered, the repercussions are severe. The Examiner reports that a 12-year-old boy was uncovered to be behind the swatting of Ashton Kutcher and is being charged with a felony for the false report.