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4d ago

FBI Probes Surge of Swatting Hoaxes Hitting U.S. Campuses as Fall Terms Begin

Spoofed calls with staged gunfire are triggering sweeping lockdowns, leaving investigators without clear links.

Police gather at Villanova University after an active shooter was reported August 21, 2025, in Villanova, Pennsylvania.
People shelter behind a wall at Villanova University on August 21.
Toppled chairs are scattered on a lawn at Villanova University, where an active shooter was reported on August 21.

Overview

  • At least 10 to 11 universities have reported false active‑shooter calls since Aug. 21, including Villanova, Tennessee at Chattanooga, South Carolina, Arkansas, Iowa State, Kansas State, Northern Arizona, the University of Colorado Boulder, New Hampshire and Kentucky.
  • Villanova was hit twice in four days, and the University of South Carolina received two library calls featuring gunshot sounds, with two minor injuries reported during evacuation.
  • The University of Arkansas locked down on Monday and canceled classes before declaring no credible threat after multiple reports centered on campus libraries.
  • The FBI says it is assisting state and local probes, notes an uptick in swatting, has not determined any connections among cases, and urges vigilance while leveraging a 2023 tracking database.
  • Several incidents shared patterns of multiple calls and gunfire audio that triggered “run, hide, fight” alerts and large police responses, underscoring resource strain and ongoing trauma on campuses.