Overview

• Georgia authorities said Wednesday that GBI and FBI Atlanta are investigating new threats that prompted brief lockdowns at Mercer University and a Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta facility before all-clear notices were issued.
• Over the past week, at least a dozen campuses reported false active-shooter calls, including Villanova and Tennessee–Chattanooga late last week and Arkansas, Northern Arizona, Iowa State, Kansas State, Colorado Boulder, New Hampshire, Kentucky and West Virginia on Monday and Tuesday.
• Several hoax calls featured background sounds that mimicked gunfire or multiple calls reporting ongoing shootings, which officials said heightened the urgency of the responses.
• The FBI said it is seeing an increase in swatting events nationwide and is working with local agencies to assess credibility and investigate, noting the practice drains resources and endangers the public.
• Universities reported heavy multi-agency deployments, lockdowns and evacuations, with South Carolina noting two minor injuries, as experts urge tougher penalties and investment in tools to unmask callers who conceal identities.