Nationwide Swatting Incidents Disrupt First Day of Classes
On the first day of the academic year, at least 10 college campuses across the U.S., from Arkansas to Pennsylvania, were targeted by hoax calls reporting active shooters. These swatting incidents, designed to provoke fear and chaos, prompted campus-wide “run, hide, fight” alerts, forcing students and faculty to seek cover as law enforcement swarmed the campuses. No actual threats were found in any of the reported cases.
Specific Incidents Spark Panic
The wave of hoaxes began last Thursday at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where multiple calls claimed a man with an AR-15-style weapon was firing shots during an orientation Mass. The false reports, which included sounds of gunfire, led to a temporary lockdown, with students hiding in utility closets and chairs scattered across the lawn. Similar incidents occurred at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the University of South Carolina, and Northern Arizona University, among others, with callers reporting gunmen and gunshots. Each was later confirmed as a hoax.
Emotional Toll on Students and Faculty
The hoaxes left students and faculty shaken. Villanova senior Ava Petrosky, who was singing at the orientation Mass, recalled thinking, “I’m gonna die,” as she fled for cover. University of Arkansas student Miceala Morano hid behind a green screen, calling her grandmother to say, “I’m safe. I love you.” Casey Mann, another Arkansas student, struggled to sleep after the incident, noting, “It’s just a scary reality the time we’re living in.” Faculty, like chemistry instructor Mya Norman, expressed concern that repeated hoaxes could lead to complacency during real threats.
Investigations and FBI Involvement
The FBI is working with state and local authorities to investigate these swatting incidents, which often involve caller ID spoofing to disguise the source. While it’s unclear if the hoaxes are connected, many share similarities, such as multiple calls and background gunfire sounds. The FBI previously linked similar incidents in 2022 to sources outside the U.S. Northern Arizona University confirmed no active threat existed after a hoax call about a gunman at Cline Library, and Villanova’s president, Rev. Peter Donohue, condemned the “cruel hoax” that disrupted the campus community.
Growing Concerns Amid Rising Gun Violence
These hoaxes come amid heightened fears of gun violence, following recent real incidents, including a shooting at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta and a deadly attack at the NFL’s New York headquarters in July. Security experts, like Elizabeth Jaffe from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, emphasize that law enforcement must treat every alert seriously, as “every second counts” in a real mass shooting. However, the repeated false alarms risk desensitizing students and faculty, potentially undermining responses to genuine threats in the future.
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