Universities Start New School Year With A Wave Of False Shooting Reports
Just as universities across the US start the school year, many are experiencing a wave of false active shooter calls to the police, also known as "swatting" calls or incidents.
They’ve forced frightened students and faculty across the country to evacuate campus or take shelter.
WHERE IT’S HAPPENING
School shooting hoaxes — either confirmed to be hoaxes by the police, or incidents where simply no gunman was found — occurred at at least six universities on Monday alone: The University of Arkansas, University of Colorado Boulder, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, the University of New Hampshire, and Northern Arizona University.
False reporting of shooting incidents also occurred late last week at Villanova University, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and the University of South Carolina.
BY THE NUMBERS
Swatting incidents have jumped from 400 in 2011 to over 1,000 in 2019, according to the Anti-Defamation League, but the numbers can be hard to fully track. Perpetrators often use burner phones or apps to disguise their voices to conceal their identities.
Calls in recent years have increasingly targeted public places like schools, places of worship, and hospitals.
Swatting calls drain police resources and can distract from real emergencies, according to the FBI.
Last year, a California teen pleaded guilty to carrying out hundreds of swatting calls, including to historically Black colleges and a Florida mosque