A series of hoax calls reporting active shooters on college campuses across the United States has caused widespread fear as the new academic year begins. The incidents, known as swatting, have affected at least 10 universities, including Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where a false report of a gunman armed with an AR-15-style weapon led to a temporary lockdown during an orientation mass.
At Villanova, students attending the mass rushed into buildings and hid in a utility closet after hearing sounds of gunfire in the background of the calls. The lockdown was lifted two hours later, and the university's president, Rev. Peter Donohue, condemned the 'cruel hoax.' One student, Ava Petrosky, said she thought she was going to die during the panic.
Other campuses targeted include the University of Arkansas, Northern Arizona University, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, the University of Colorado, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Kentucky, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and the University of South Carolina. In each case, law enforcement responded but found no threat.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is working with state and local partners to investigate the hoaxes but has not confirmed whether they are connected. Experts warn that such incidents risk creating complacency among students and staff, who increasingly face active shooter drills and alerts as part of campus life.
Students affected described lasting fear. Miceala Morano, a senior at the University of Arkansas, hid in a broadcast room and called her grandmother, saying she felt intense fear regardless of whether the threat was real. Casey Mann, a 19-year-old classmate, said she could not sleep until 2 a.m. after the incident, reflecting on the 'scary reality' of the times.
