FBI investigates college swatting hoaxes terrorizing campuses across US

College campuses across the country descended into chaos this week as false reports of active shooters sparked mass panic, lockdowns, and major police responses – only to be revealed as coordinated hoaxes.

On Monday alone, at least six universities reported active shooter alerts. All turned out to be false alarms, but not before causing widespread disruption and fear.

“Swatting threats are not hoaxes – they’re serious. They disrupt the educational process and communities into upheaval,” Ken Trump, the President of National School Safety and Security Services, told Fox News Digital.

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Nationwide Hoaxes Trigger Federal Attention

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed to Fox News Digital that it’s seeing a nationwide increase in swatting incidents and is working closely with local agencies to investigate the coordinated threats.

“The FBI is seeing an increase in swatting events across the country, and we take potential hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk,” a spokesperson for the FBI said.

The Bureau warned that these hoaxes not only waste law enforcement time and resources but also endanger lives.

Swatting refers to the act of falsely reporting an emergency, often involving an active shooter, to prompt a massive law enforcement response. The results can be dangerous and even deadly if responses escalate before the situation is confirmed.

“Every call has to be treated as real. There is no other option,” retired FBI Special Agent Jason Pack explained to Fox News Digital. “Even when the details raise suspicion, the response is still full scale.” 

Pack said the FBI is likely analyzing the incidents to identify patterns or shared tactics.

“Swatting is a crime that endangers entire communities. Treating it with the full weight of law enforcement from local patrol officers to the FBI working across borders is the only way to prevent one of these hoaxes from ending in tragedy.” 

Emotional Toll Outlasts the Hoax

Even after threats are deemed false, emotional aftershocks and misinformation continue to disrupt campuses, drain resources, and test school resilience.

“We’re in the state of the greatest ambiguity, uncertainty, and anxiety around school safety than I’ve ever seen in my career,” Trump said. 

Even when threats are quickly proven false, Trump said the effects linger and “an enduring psychological impact.” 

“Even when incidents are found to not be credible…the anxiety, the upheaval, the concerns, goes on for days, weeks, and months,” Trump said in reference to applying to students, staff, and parents.

Trend Spreads Across States, Campus Sizes

The trend isn’t confined to one city or state – it’s spread across campuses nationwide, from large universities to smaller colleges.

Officials say the randomness and scale of the threats are part of what makes them so disruptive.

Here are ten campuses that faced terrifying false alarms:

University of Texas at San Antonio

Dorms evacuated after threats deemed unfounded.

The most recent case happened on the second day of classes at the University of Texas at San Antonio.  

“Earlier tonight, the university received two reports of threats against the campus,” the school wrote in a post on X. “UTSA Police responded to both reports and, out of an abundance of caution, issued alerts to the campus community. Local law enforcement partners also responded.” 

Students were temporarily evacuated from on-campus housing Tuesday night while the university investigated reports of a ‘credible active threat.'”

“Upon investigation, both incidents were determined to be unfounded. Police will continue to maintain an enhanced presence on campus. Normal activities can resume,” the school wrote. 

Out of precaution, the school added that there will be an “enhanced presence” of law enforcement on campus for the time being. 

Villanova University

Students barricaded after fake gunfire calls.

At Villanova, near Philadelphia, students were alerted around 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 21 about a possible shooter on campus. The alert system ordered students to shelter in place, barricade doors, and await further instructions. Social media quickly filled with images of frightened students scrambling to safety. The shelter-in-place order was lifted around 6 p.m. after law enforcement found no credible threat.

Villanova President Rev. Peter Donohue called the situation a “cruel hoax,” adding that while there were no injuries or evidence of firearms, the psychological toll was severe. “Today’s events have shaken our entire community,” he wrote in a campus-wide statement.

Authorities say the initial call to 911 described a man with an AR-15-style weapon, complete with background noises mimicking gunfire. A separate call claimed someone had been shot. Police responded swiftly, but it became clear the threat wasn’t real.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has directed state police to use “every tool available” to track down those responsible and bring them to justice.

“I know today was every parent’s nightmare, and every student’s biggest fear,” Shapiro wrote. “I’m profoundly grateful no one was hurt, and thankful to all members of law enforcement who ran towards reports of danger to keep Pennsylvanians safe.

University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Welcome Week cut short by hoax lockdown.

At the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, classes were canceled after a false report of a shooter sent the campus into lockdown. 

The incident happened during the conclusion of Welcome Week activities. 

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The school’s police department released a statement about the incident, calling it “a criminal act, intended to be disruptive and cause chaos.”

No injuries were reported despite a 911 call claiming otherwise and police are continuing to investigate. 

“While this incident did not pose a true emergency, it is essential that students, employees, affiliates, and guests treat such situations as genuine threats to life until public safety officials confirm otherwise,” police said. 

University of Arkansas

300+ calls flood 911 in library swatting incident.

The University of Arkansas also called off classes on Monday after officials confirmed that reports of an “active threat” could not be substantiated.

Students were first alerted to a possible active shooter near Mullins Library shortly before 12:30 p.m. via the university’s RazALERT emergency system.

Located at the center of campus near the Student Union, Mullins Library became the focus of the initial alert, which read: “RazALERT Emergency Notification: Avoid the area of Mullins Library due to an active shooter reported. Avoid. Deny. Defend.”

Police received over 300 calls from landlines and more than 30 emergency 911 calls, all reporting an active shooter in seven separate campus buildings. Some callers claimed to have seen a shooter or heard gunfire.

“It’s looking as if this was another swatting or hoax call,” University of Arkansas Police Department assistant chief Matt Mills said.

Kansas State University

First day of classes interrupted by Hale Library hoax.

Another Midwest university fell victim to a swatting incident on Monday, striking on the first day of classes for students.

Kansas State University school officials confirmed they were the target of a “swatting attack” that was intended to disrupt classes.

Officials said Riley County Dispatch received a call on their administrative line of a message claiming that there was “active violence at Hale Library.”

“Officers immediately responded and determined the call was a hoax and there was no threat or danger,” a statement from the school read. “The building is safe, and the Manhattan campus is under normal operations.” 

Iowa State University 

Multiple calls, no credible threat.

One state over, Iowa State University, was targeted by a swatting hoax.

The Iowa State University Police Department confirmed that the reports of an active shooter on campus were fake.

“Officers responded promptly this morning after receiving several calls and found no credible threat,” the department wrote in a news release.

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Campus police added that they would continue to monitor the situation and that they “take all threats seriously.”

“The calls appear to be similar to several anonymous and false “swatting calls” at universities across the country, triggering a response from law enforcement.”

University of South Carolina

“Shooter” turned out to be a man with an umbrella.

On Sunday evening, the University of South Carolina lifted a campus-wide alert and declared an “all clear” following earlier warnings about a possible active shooter.

Officials confirmed that there was no current threat.

Earlier that night, the university had instructed students and faculty on the Columbia campus to shelter in place after receiving a report of an active shooter near the Thomas Cooper Library.

An emergency alert was issued shortly after 6:30 p.m. ET, advising individuals to stay away from the area and either evacuate or barricade themselves if needed.

Later, authorities stated they had found no signs of a shooter.

“Police are searching affected buildings,” read a message from the school’s alert system.

Social media videos showed someone approaching a university building with what appeared to be a long, black object, which some speculated might be a rifle.

However, Scott Prill, deputy chief of police at the university, clarified that the individual was actually carrying an umbrella.

The situation was resolved and the “all clear” message was issued just after 8 p.m.

University of Colorado Boulder

Three-hour disruption after Norlin Library report.

On Monday, the University of Colorado Boulder was targeted in a swatting incident, a false report of an active shooter that led to a three-hour campus disruption.

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The university said a shelter-in-place order was issued across the Main Campus after someone falsely claimed to hear gunshots near Norlin Library from Sewall Hall. Police thoroughly searched the affected buildings, finding no threat, injuries, or suspects.

The incident is being investigated as a hoax.

University of New Hampshire

Library targeted in swatting call.

The University of New Hampshire also reported they were victim to swatting calls on the first day of school on Monday.

“At approximately 6:30 p.m., the UNH Police Department responded to a report of shots fired in the library on campus,” UNH police said in a Facebook post Monday night. “Officers arrived immediately and conducted a thorough search. It was determined there were NO shots fired, and there is no danger to the community. The call was confirmed to be a hoax.”

Northern Arizona University

FBI joins investigation into library hoax.

North Arizona University was one of several schools which were victims of swatting hoaxes on Monday.

The university reported that campus police received a report of a person with a gun at Cline Library on the Flagstaff mountain campus.

“The report was determined to be a hoax, and at no time was there an active threat to the NAU community,” the school wrote in a news release.

An investigation is underway into the false report with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the school said. 

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides, and migrant crime. Story tips: [email protected].