In particular, in national schools, “swatting” and hoaxes have risen dramatically since 2011.
Villanova University Shooter warns “cruel hoax” and no one gets injured
Villanova Univ. Pastor Peter Donohue confirmed that the report of the active shooter was “cruel hoax” and that no injuries or firearms were found on campus.
An alert to students at Villanova University is “Active shooter on Vu campus. Move to a safe location. Lock/barricade door. More information.”
Videos and photos posted on social media show the massive panic that followed on Thursday, August 21st as students were preparing to start their fall classes. A wave of students was running for their own life, some posted about how they barricaded wherever they were when the text came in, others simply posted about how scary they were.
“Hello, I’m a freshman at Villanova. Active shooter alerts in the middle of the opening mass for students,” the poster writes on X. “Everyone is hiding.
It was all “cruel hoax” and the university announced it about 90 minutes after the alert was issued.
At many levels across America, such hoaxes have long plagued the country, including schools, grocery stores, office buildings, airports and other places where large groups gather. Also known as swatting, they are defined as false reports of serious crimes aimed at causing heavy law enforcement responses.
“This is a big problem,” said Elizabeth Jaff, an associate professor at John Marshall Law School in Atlanta, which said it was cyberbullying and social media. “If you have hundreds and thousands because one incident is a big problem, it’s an evolving trend.”
According to the Prevention Prevention League, the estimated swatting incidents jumped from 400 in 2011 to over 1,000 in 2019.
In January 2023 to June 2024 alone, more than 800 instances were recorded in primary, middle and high schools in the US, according to the K-12 school shooting database created by doctoral students at the University of Central Florida in response to the 2018 Parkland High School shooting.
The FBI has been aware of the issue since at least 2008, according to a release from the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division.
In the wake of panic at Villanova, USA Today sees the common hoaxes that cause mass panic, why they happen, what the rebellion is, and what it can do.
Who is swatting?
Swatting was popular even if it was popular as a potentially deadly hoax among gamers in the early 2000s, according to researchers from the Prevention League. Since then, it has become a tool for everyone, from planksters to online extremists, according to Carla Hill, senior director of research in the Prevention League.
“Previously someone would pull the fire alarm because they didn’t want to go to school. Now they slam the school,” Hill said.
“They get the thrill from that,” Jaffe said.
Hill, who has also worked to track swatters, played the role of instruments in the FBI investigation of Swatter’s rings, which targeted Jewish and minority agencies in 2023.
Hill said the group was fortunate enough to boast about their online exploits. According to the FBI, the group targeted at least 25 synagogues in 13 states.
However, law enforcement can be difficult to track down unless the swatter uses his or publicly speaks about it. “There are many ways to do that without being traceable,” Hill said.
Why are you having such a big problem?
Not only does the hoax disrupt schools and businesses, it also drains police, fire and EMS resources that compete on the scene.
“We have to treat each of them as authentic until we know it’s a hoax,” Kelly Smith, a former assistant special agent in the FBI’s Seattle office, said in an agency video on the issue. “We are leading law enforcement resources away from other active investigations, which puts a great strain on the resources of both our agencies and our local police department.”
David Riedman, data scientist and creator of the K-12 School Shooting Database, estimates that in 2023 it will cost police $82,300,000 to respond to false threats.
There is also human sacrifice.
“It causes trauma for students, parents and the community,” said John DeCarlo, former police chief who responded to the hoax and now a professor of criminal justice and forensic science at New Haven University. “The call itself may be a lie, but the panic and trauma it creates is very real.”
Demacole can also win innocent bystanders in dangerous situations. According to a report by Harvard Crimson, four Harvard undergraduate students were detained at gunpoint in a 2023 attack at Ivy League Schools.
And some cases of swatting have become fatal. Tyler Barris, a gamer with a history of demacalls in connection with Andrew Finch’s shooting death in Wichita, Kansas in 2017, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to a report by NBC News. Finch was shot and killed by police in response to a swatting call made by Barris. Finch, who had no idea about Barris, lived at the address that Barris believed there was a target.
What can you do about swatting?
Experts agree that stronger laws, stricter penalties and better techniques to track swatters are needed.
“It’s often this kind of thing with technology. We need to catch up,” Hill said, adding that some states have strong protections. “You need to get some laws in your book.”
Decarlo said one big step is for the FBI to treat swatting as a federal crime, but agreed that technology is a major hurdle as swatters can hide their voice, IP address and identity. He expects more swatting cases like Villanova as authorities compete for solutions.
“The fact is, in this way, all demacoles divert officers from real emergency and real risks, and that’s the real tragedy,” he said. “We’ll take public protection where we need it.”
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter at USA Today. Follow her on x at @amandaleusat. Michael Loria is a national reporter for USA Today Breaking News Desk. Contact him at mtoria @usatoday.com, @mchael_mchael or (202) 290-4585.
