Spate of Hoax Calls About Active Shooters Stir Fear at Colleges

Introduction to the Crisis

A rash of hoax calls about active shooters on college campuses — some featuring gunshots sounding in the background — has sent waves of fear among students around the nation as the school year begins. The calls have prompted universities to issue campuswide texts to “run, hide, fight.” Students and teachers have rushed to find cover, often cowering in classrooms for safety. Officers have swarmed campuses seeking out the threat. Yet in every recent case, the threat didn’t exist.

Response to Hoax Calls

“It’s looking as if this was another swatting or hoax call,” University of Arkansas Police Department Assistant Chief Matt Mills said after false reports of an active shooter Monday prompted school leaders to cancel classes for the day. Law enforcement officers gather in front of the library on the University of Arkansas campus while responding to reports of a shooting Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Number of College Campuses Receiving Hoax Alarms Grows

The hoax calls and false alarms have hit at least 11 college campuses from Arkansas to Pennsylvania. On Monday alone, law enforcement responded to calls claiming there were active shooters at Arkansas, Northern Arizona University, Iowa State, Kansas State, University of Colorado, and the University of New Hampshire. More calls were made Tuesday at the University of Kentucky as well as Central Georgia Technical College and a nearby high school. The Kentucky call was determined to be a hoax before an alert could be issued.

The Goal of Swatting

The goal of swatting, which sometimes uses caller ID spoofing to disguise numbers, is to get authorities, particularly a SWAT team, to respond to an address. The FBI said Tuesday that it was working with law enforcement on the swatting cases on college campuses, which come as such false reports surge nationwide.

Previous Waves of Threats

A wave of threats three years ago was believed to have come from outside the country, the FBI said at the time. The agency provided few details about the recent campus threats, including whether they are coordinated, but the calls appear to share similar traits. Most of them involved multiple calls to authorities about an active shooter or shooting, and at least four included the sound of gunshots in the background.

Impact on Students and Staff

The emotional toll on students and staff can linger for days or even weeks, said Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, a consulting firm that focuses on K-12 safety. University of Arkansas students and employees evacuate and take shelter Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, in Fayetteville, Ark., as police respond to reports of a shooting. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Personal Accounts of Fear

Miceala Morano, a 21-year-old senior journalism major at the University of Arkansas, knows that firsthand. She hid behind a green screen in the broadcast room and called her grandmother as officers outside donned bulletproof vests. “As of right now, I’m safe. I love you,” said Morano, who was raised on active shooter drills. Casey Mann, a 19-year-old classmate, said she couldn’t sleep until 2 a.m. afterward. “It’s just a scary reality the time we’re living in right now,” she said, her voice choking up. “It just makes me wonder what we’re supposed to expect in the future when it comes to the frequency of events like this.”

Origins of the Latest Wave

The wave of reports began on Thursday, when law enforcement in Pennsylvania received multiple calls about shots purportedly fired on Villanova’s campus by a man armed with an AR-15 style weapon. Sounds of gunfire could be heard in the background of the calls. Villanova University President Father Peter M. Donohue comforts after an active shooter was reported Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Villanova, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Spread of Hoax Calls

The same day, Tennessee authorities received calls reporting an active shooter at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga armed with an AR-15 style rifle and four people shot. Dispatchers reported hearing multiple gunshots on the calls. “This incident was a criminal act, intended to be disruptive and cause chaos,” the school said in a statement. The University of South Carolina also received two calls Sunday reporting an active shooter at the school’s library, with the sound of gunshots in the background.

Concerns About Future Response

The hoaxes are risking creating complacency at campuses and students where active shooter alerts and drills have become a regular part of life. “It does make me worry that people will be inclined to think it’s a false alarm,” said Mya Norman, a chemistry instructor at Arkansas who hid under her office desk as the Fayetteville campus remained on lockdown. Security experts said that risk remains, but campus officials must find the right balance in keeping students and teachers on guard for any real threats in the future.

Conclusion

The recent spate of hoax calls about active shooters on college campuses highlights a growing concern about the safety and security of educational institutions. As law enforcement and campus officials work to address these threats, it is crucial to strike a balance between preparedness and complacency. The impact on students, staff, and the community at large cannot be underestimated, and efforts to prevent such hoaxes and ensure rapid, effective responses to real threats are paramount.

FAQs

• Q: What is swatting, and how does it relate to the recent hoax calls on college campuses?
  A: Swatting refers to the act of making false reports to emergency services, often with the intention of prompting a significant law enforcement response, such as a SWAT team deployment. The recent hoax calls on college campuses, claiming active shooters, are examples of swatting incidents.
• Q: How many college campuses have been affected by these hoax calls?
  A: At least 11 college campuses from Arkansas to Pennsylvania have received hoax calls about active shooters.
• Q: What are the potential consequences of these hoax calls for students and staff?
  A: The emotional toll can be significant, leading to fear, anxiety, and potential complacency in response to future alerts. There is also a risk of physical harm during the response to these hoaxes.
• Q: Are these hoax calls believed to be coordinated?
  A: The FBI is investigating, but details about coordination or the origin of these calls have not been fully disclosed.
• Q: How can colleges and universities prevent or respond to these hoax calls effectively?
  A: This involves a combination of improving security measures, enhancing communication systems, conducting regular drills, and educating students and staff about the risks and appropriate responses to both real and hoax threats.