Twitch headquarters investigated by police for possible threats

By Marta Juras

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Aug 9, 2019

Reading time: 1 min

There was a recent scare at Twitch’s headquarters in San Francisco, California.

The San Francisco Police Department investigated threats made to the company. The police did not have a specific suspect and were uncertain regarding how credible the threat was.

“We were made aware of a threat against our San Francisco HQ on Tuesday and have been working directly with law enforcement as they investigate,” Twitch said in a statement obtained by Business Insider. “The safety and security of our employees is our top priority, and we are focused on ensuring this is resolved quickly and safely.”

By the end of the work day, an officer told Business Insider that there was no longer an “active threat” to the location. No one was hurt and the Twitch platform was unaffected by the incident. The SFPD did not disclose specifics on what brought about the investigation but Twitch employees reportedly indicated that there were threats of a shooting on social media.

The threats directed towards Twitch come after a pair of mass shootings in the United States killed more than 30 in California and Ohio. United States President Donald Trump pushed part of the blame for this onto violent video games, while others pointed a finger at social media.

Social media platforms have been targets of violence in the past. Just last year, YouTube’s headquarters became the site of a shooting when a content creator opened fire on their San Bruno office. The shooter injured three people before taking their own life.

The incident hit close to home for the esports community, but unfortunately Twitch wasn’t alone in dealing with threats of gun violence.

An upcoming Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament, Fragadelphia 13, also received threats of a shooting. The organizer stated they were reaching out to local law enforcement and the FBI to ensure the event is safe.

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