{"id":2566,"date":"2026-05-22T15:40:47","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T15:40:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/22\/minecraft-playing-grandma-swatted-when-livestreaming-to-raise-funds-for-grandsons-cancer-treatment\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T15:40:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T15:40:47","slug":"minecraft-playing-grandma-swatted-when-livestreaming-to-raise-funds-for-grandsons-cancer-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=2566","title":{"rendered":"Minecraft-playing grandma swatted when livestreaming to raise funds for grandson\u2019s cancer treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"9eb4742e-9205-4a8a-b9c5-0bfc0613086e\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A Minecraft logo\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/bdbb05b460e9728692805900b967949c4bb01c79\/1_0_4170_3338\/master\/4170.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372.2230215827338\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Sue Jacquot was playing the popular Minecraft video game.<\/span> Photograph: Alexander Bogatyrew\/SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"9eb4742e-9205-4a8a-b9c5-0bfc0613086e\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Sue Jacquot was playing the popular Minecraft video game.<\/span> Photograph: Alexander Bogatyrew\/SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Minecraft-playing grandma swatted when livestreaming to raise funds for grandson\u2019s cancer treatment<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Sue Jacquot was taking part in fundraiser when police swarmed her home after someone falsely reported a crime<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/arizona\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Arizona<\/a> grandmother has said someone subjected her to a so-called police swatting call while she was taking part in a Minecraft fundraiser to raise financial support for her grandson\u2019s cancer treatment medical bills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The bizarre turn of events is the latest high-profile instance in the US of an act of criminal harassment which involves prank-calling emergency operators to get a heavily armed police response sent to a target\u2019s home.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"23fbf5ae-1a54-4c0d-a2a1-c234164fb6fd\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-2 | 2\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-1ljij2n\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/21\/dhs-bolo-ben-palmer-parody-ice-tip-website\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">US homeland security put out alert on comedian who created parody ICE tip website<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fkf7vq\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Sue Jacquot, known online as \u201cGrammaCrackers\u201d, had built a substantial following on YouTube playing the game with her family to help pay for the cancer treatments of her grandson, Jack Self, including playing for 15 days straight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But on Monday someone falsely called in to authorities that Jacquot, 81, had been shot and killed \u2013 and more than a dozen Queen Creek police officers in full tactical gear swarmed the home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The live stream showed officers entering Jacquot\u2019s room and waking her up. \u201cThey just sort of escorted me out, and they were apologizing,\u201d Jacquot <a href=\"https:\/\/www.12news.com\/article\/news\/local\/valley\/valley-grandmother-grammacrackers-swatted-during-livestream-fundraiser-arizona\/75-2e3df23f-8a7f-4d70-857f-262d373c57e1\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">told the local news outlet KPNX<\/a>. \u201cI just wondered what my grandkids had done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Jacquot began playing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/games\/minecraft\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Minecraft<\/a> as a way to bond with her family. When Jack, 17, was diagnosed with a rare form of sarcoma cancer, his grandmother decided to dedicate all ad revenue from her videos to help cover costs of treatment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Hundreds of thousands of online gamers took out subscriptions for Jacquot\u2019s channel to watch her, Jack and another grandson, Austin, play the game. A GoFundMe campaign also boosted donations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">However, that also brought the swatting call, which police are now investigating. There was \u201ca call that Jack shot his grandma and killed her \u2013 and that he was going to kill himself\u201d, Jack said. \u201cAnd right then, I was like, \u2018Whoa.\u2019 It was kind of like a punch to the stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Despite the scare, Jacquot says she has no plans to stop gaming. \u201cThey\u2019re not going to tell me what I can do. They\u2019re not going to make me afraid to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/arizona\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Arizona<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/games\/minecraft\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Minecraft<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-police\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US policing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/games\/games\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Games<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-crime\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US crime<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/technology\/internet\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Internet<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Minecraft-playing%20grandma%20swatted%20when%20livestreaming%20to%20raise%20funds%20for%20grandson%E2%80%99s%20cancer%20treatment&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/22\/arizona-grandma-minecraft-swat?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F22%2Farizona-grandma-minecraft-swat&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/22\/arizona-grandma-minecraft-swat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sue Jacquot was playing the popular Minecraft video game. Photograph: Alexander Bogatyrew\/SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Getty Images View image<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2566"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2566\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}