False reports of active shooters continue to plague college campuses across the United States, creating panic and diverting crucial law enforcement resources.
Since the beginning of the current academic year, as many as 20 colleges and universities have been victims of these swatting hoaxes, with the University of Maryland and Slippery Rock University being the latest targets.
UMD and Slippery Rock University Swatting Incidents
The University of Maryland became the most recent victim of swatting, which is a term used to describe the act of making false emergency calls to provoke a large police response.
Related Article: Mass. Officer Accidentally Fires Gun During Swatting Incident at St. John’s Prep
According to Lt. Rosanne Hoaas, a public information officer with the University of Maryland Campus Police, a report of an active shooter near McKeldin Library was received around 4:15 a.m. on Tuesday from Prince George’s County Public Safety Communications, reports WTOP. An officer patrolling the area quickly determined the report to be false, adding to the growing list of similar incidents nationwide.
The same day that the University of Maryland was swatted, Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania received a report of a bomb on campus, reports WTAE. That threat was also determined to be a hoax.
National Trend and Implications
This recent wave of false reports is not isolated. Institutions such as the University of South Carolina, Villanova University, and several others have also fallen prey to similar swatting incidents. These hoaxes often force campus-wide lockdowns and invoke fear among students and staff.
At the University of South Carolina, a swatting call last month falsely reported an active shooter at the Thomas Cooper Library, prompting a campus-wide shelter-in-place order and an extensive law enforcement response. The active shooter report was later confirmed to be unnecessary.
Related Article: Anonymous School Threats: What to Do Before, During, and After
Experts note that swatting incidents pose significant risks beyond causing unnecessary panic. They divert critical resources from actual emergencies and increase the likelihood of accidental harm during response efforts.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is actively assisting with investigations across affected campuses to track down the perpetrators. The complexity and anonymity often involved in such hoaxes make them challenging to resolve.
