A wave of hoax threats targeting around 50 college campuses across the United States has left students, faculty, and law enforcement on edge, exposing the growing challenge of identifying fake calls amidst a climate of frequent mass shootings. These swatting incidents, designed to provoke panic and draw heavy police responses, have disrupted academic life, with some students hiding under desks for hours, only to learn the threats were malicious pranks.
The surge in false alarms, particularly intensified after the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, has heightened fears, especially at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). On Thursday, several HBCUs, including Southern University in Baton Rouge, were forced into lockdowns or canceled classes after receiving threats of violence. The timing, coinciding with Kirk’s killing, has amplified anxiety on campuses already grappling with the trauma of real and perceived dangers.
Swatting, the act of making false emergency reports to trigger SWAT team responses, has roots in online gaming disputes but has evolved into a tactic used by nihilistic groups for amusement or disruption. The FBI, which established a swatting database in 2023, reports a significant rise in such incidents, with thousands logged by law enforcement agencies. The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance to help identify hoaxes, noting red flags like callers’ inability to answer basic follow-up questions or mispronouncing local names. Despite these efforts, no arrests have been made in the recent wave, leaving authorities scrambling to respond.
Also Read: Trump Administration Pushes G7 to Target Nations Importing Russian Crude
Some of these swats have been linked to a group called Purgatory, part of a loose network of online threat actors known as The Com. According to the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism and the Centre for Internet Security, Purgatory has orchestrated coordinated attacks, with livestreams capturing perpetrators laughing and joking during calls. “They’re doing it for the LOLs,” said cybercrime expert Keven Hendricks, highlighting the lack of clear motive beyond causing chaos.
A recent swatting attempt at Kansas State University illustrates the challenge. The caller, using a non-emergency line—a common swatting tactic—incorrectly referred to the school as “Kansas City State University” and described a fabricated AR-15-armed gunman in the library, with staged gunfire sounds in the background. Dispatchers, trained to spot inconsistencies, grew skeptical when the caller couldn’t explain why no other 911 calls were flooding in. “The gunfire sounded like it was from a TV,” noted Major Daryl Ascher of the Riley County Police Department, yet officers were still dispatched to ensure safety.
The relentless hoaxes are straining law enforcement resources and testing dispatchers, who serve as the last line of defense in an era marked by tragedies like the recent Denver high school and Minneapolis church shootings. “I often wonder if people don’t have something better to do,” Ascher said, underscoring the toll on police. Students, too, are feeling the emotional weight, with fears of desensitization growing. Miceala Morano, a senior at the University of Arkansas, expressed concern after a recent scare: “I hope we’re not desensitized enough to stop taking these alerts seriously.”
Experts warn that the rise in swatting, often facilitated by voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) calls masked by virtual private networks (VPNs), demands technological and policy solutions. Don Beeler of TDR Technology Solutions suggests redirecting suspicious non-emergency calls to automated systems, while Hendricks advocates blocking VoIP calls from behind VPNs to curb swatting. As campuses brace for more alerts, the ongoing threat of hoaxes risks eroding trust and creating complacency in a nation already scarred by gun violence.
Also Read: Ghana Becomes First West African Nation to Accept U.S. Deportees