False Reports of Active Shooters on School Campuses ON THE RISE

Confirmed False Reports of Active Shooters or Armed Individuals (August 2025)

According to reports, at least six universities across the United States experienced false reports of active shooters or persons with firearms on August 25, 2025, coinciding with the start of fall classes. These incidents were primarily classified as hoaxes or swatting calls, where false reports are made to prompt a law enforcement response. The affected campuses include:

1. Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ): A report of a person with a gun at Cline Library prompted an evacuation and multi-agency response. The report was determined to be a hoax, with no evidence of an armed individual found. The FBI is assisting in the investigation.

2. University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR): Students and staff were alerted to a possible gunman, leading to evacuations. The report was later deemed a hoax, with no evidence of violence found.

3. University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO): A run-and-hide warning was issued due to a reported gunman, but police found no evidence of a threat, classifying it as a likely swatting incident.

4. Iowa State University (Ames, IA): A similar alert was sent to students about a possible armed individual, but no evidence was found, and the incident was considered a hoax.

5. Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS): A false report of a gunman triggered a campus alert, but authorities confirmed it was a hoax with no active threat.

6. University of New Hampshire (Durham, NH): A report of a possible gunman led to a campus alert, but no evidence of violence was found, and the incident was deemed a false report.

   
   

These six incidents were reported as hoaxes or swatting calls, with no confirmed injuries or actual threats identified. The FBI is involved in investigating these incidents, noting that swatting often involves temporary cellphone numbers and voice-cloaking apps to create havoc. The bureau has not confirmed whether these incidents are connected but is assisting local law enforcement.

Other Reported Incidents on College Campuses (August 2025)

1. Emory University (Atlanta, GA, August 8, 2025): An alert was issued for an active shooter at Emory Point CVS on the Atlanta campus, with reports of gunfire prompting a shelter-in-place order. A suspect was reported dead, and a police officer was injured, but it’s unclear if this was initially a false report or a verified incident. The lack of follow-up confirming it as a hoax suggests it may have been a real event, though details are limited.

2. Villanova University (Villanova, PA, August 21, 2025): An X post mentioned a reported active shooter, but no further details confirm whether this was false or verified. Without additional evidence, it’s inconclusive but noted as a reported incident.

3. Kentucky State University (Frankfort, KY, August 2025): A shooting outside Young Hall injured two people, prompting a campus lockdown. This appears to be a verified incident, not a false report, but it reflects the heightened concern about gun violence on campuses.

Broader Context on Campus Incidents

• False Reports Trend: The six confirmed false reports on August 25, 2025, align with a broader pattern of swatting incidents targeting educational institutions. Swatting has become a growing issue, with the FBI noting its expansion from celebrity homes to schools and colleges in recent years. A California teenager was linked to similar swatting calls targeting historically Black colleges and other institutions in prior years, highlighting the disruptive intent of such hoaxes.

• Other Campus Safety Issues: Beyond false reports, August 2025 saw other campus incidents, such as protests and vandalism. For example, posts on X mentioned a student being stabbed at the University of Uyo in Nigeria due to security lapses during a delayed exam, and a student assaulted by security at Winneba University in Ghana over a grade dispute. While not U.S.-based, these reflect global concerns about campus safety.

• Clery Act Data: The Jeanne Clery Act requires U.S. colleges to report crime statistics, but false reports are not specifically categorized in these datasets. In 2021, 23,426 criminal incidents were reported on U.S. campuses, with 667 classified as hate crimes, but no specific breakdown for false shooter reports exists. The lack of mandatory reporting for hoaxes complicates tracking.

Challenges in Tracking False Reports

• Data Gaps: No national database specifically tracks false reports of active shooters or armed individuals. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program and the Clery Act focus on verified crimes, not hoaxes. Local police records or campus alerts are the primary sources, but these are often incomplete or not publicly aggregated.

• Underreporting: Some false reports may go unreported in national media if resolved quickly, leading to an underestimation of their frequency. Conversely, high-profile hoaxes attract significant attention, skewing perceptions of campus safety.

• Swatting Complexity: Swatting incidents are difficult to quantify because they may not be reported as crimes if no perpetrator is identified. The FBI’s national database for swatting is still developing, and connections between incidents are hard to establish.

August 2025 - at least six confirmed false reports of active shooters or persons with firearms occurred on U.S. college campuses, all on August 25, 2025, at Northern Arizona University, University of Arkansas, University of Colorado Boulder, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, and University of New Hampshire. These were identified as hoaxes or swatting calls, with no injuries reported. One additional incident at Emory University may not have been false, but details are inconclusive. Other campus incidents, like shootings or assaults, were reported but fall outside the scope of false reports. The exact number of false reports nationwide is likely higher due to underreporting, but precise data is unavailable without comprehensive local records.

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