Overview

• At least 19 universities have received false active‑shooter reports since Aug. 19, prompting lockdowns, building sweeps and large multi‑agency responses.
• Purgatory’s self‑identified co‑leader, known as Gores, told WIRED he made many of the calls and advertised swatting-for-hire on Telegram, with listed prices rising from about $20 to roughly $95.
• Researchers from GPAHE and others say they monitored Purgatory voice chats and recordings as calls were placed, including hoaxes that used gunshot audio to heighten urgency.
• The FBI says it is investigating the campus incidents, notes a nationwide rise in swatting, and warns the hoaxes drain resources and put people at risk; it has not publicly confirmed Purgatory’s role.
• Recent targets include Villanova and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, with South Carolina reporting minor injuries during evacuations and Arkansas officials fielding hundreds of related 911 and non-emergency calls; several earlier Purgatory members pleaded guilty this year in separate federal cases.