False reports of active shooters have disrupted at least seven college campuses nationwide within one week, triggering lockdowns, evacuations, and mass panic just as the fall semester begins. Law enforcement officials now believe the incidents are part of a coordinated wave of “swatting” attacks targeting higher education institutions.
On August 21, a 911 call falsely claimed a shooter and a wounded victim were inside the law school at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. Students were attending orientation events, including a Catholic Mass, when the alert prompted a full campus lockdown. The university president later denounced the incident as a “cruel hoax.” That same day, a similar false report hit the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where a lockdown was issued at the campus library. Police found no evidence of a threat.
The University of South Carolina faced a similar situation on August 24. A report of a shooter inside the main library led to another lockdown. Two people were injured during the chaotic evacuation, although no weapon was found. Just one day later, the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville canceled classes following another active shooter hoax. Police confirmed the report was false after sweeping the campus.
Villanova was hit again on August 24, when a second false report claimed an armed threat at a student dormitory. Northern Arizona University, Iowa State University, and Louisiana State University of Alexandria also received fake emergency alerts in the same timeframe. In total, at least seven campuses experienced false alarms in a single week.
Security experts warn that these swatting incidents put lives at risk by provoking dangerous reactions from both students and law enforcement. Officials also express concern that frequent false alarms may lead to complacency, undermining future responses to actual emergencies.
With tensions already high at many campuses, especially amid increasing violence in urban centers, the impact of these hoaxes raises serious questions about digital tracing, emergency preparedness, and campus security funding. Federal and local agencies are reportedly investigating the incidents, but no arrests have been announced.
