On August 25, 2025, a wave of panic swept through several American university campuses as false reports of active shooters—commonly known as swatting—triggered emergency lockdowns, evacuations, and a massive police response. The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and Iowa State University in Ames were among the hardest hit, as law enforcement agencies scrambled to investigate the threats and ensure the safety of tens of thousands of students and staff. As the dust settled, it became clear that these incidents were part of a troubling national trend, with similar hoaxes disrupting campuses from Tennessee to South Carolina in the days prior.
The chaos at the University of Arkansas began just after lunchtime, around 12:30 p.m. local time, when an alert warned of an active shooter on campus. According to USA TODAY, campus police, the Fayetteville Police Department, and Arkansas State Police responded immediately, evacuating students and securing the area. "Police continue to patrol campus, but please be vigilant," the university told USA TODAY after the incident. The campus, home to over 30,000 students this semester, saw classes canceled for the rest of the day, with plans to resume on Tuesday. As of mid-afternoon, the Mullins Library remained closed, and local schools—including several elementary and junior high schools, as well as Fayetteville High School—were placed on lockdown as a precaution.
Inside the library, confusion reigned but there was little sign of actual danger. Freshman Michael Kittell told the Southwest Times Record, "I was packing up to go before the text came out. Then, everyone got up. I didn’t know what was happening. Everyone said they didn’t hear anything. I didn’t hear anything. It was weird getting that text in that building and not hearing anything." Ultimately, police found no evidence of gunfire or any active threat on or near campus, and the all-clear was given after several tense hours.
But Arkansas was not alone. That same day, Iowa State University faced not one but two false reports of an active shooter—first at Friley Hall, a large residence hall, and then at Parks Library. According to KCCI and a news release from the Iowa State University Police Department, officers responded promptly and determined both calls were hoaxes, likely examples of swatting. ISU Police Chief Michael Newton expressed his frustration: "This is really frustrating because, you know, it brings an element of potential danger that doesn’t need to be there. We’re having an immediate, swift response. Officers are responding lights and sirens, which is dangerous in and of itself." Newton explained that no campus-wide alert was issued because the hoax was identified quickly, allowing officers to reassure students and staff in person.
Swatting—false reports of serious crimes intended to provoke a massive law enforcement response—has become an escalating problem across the United States. As USA TODAY reports, the days leading up to the Arkansas and Iowa State incidents saw similar false active shooter reports at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Villanova University, and the University of South Carolina. On August 21, 2025, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga locked down its campus after a report of a gunman, only to lift the lockdown less than an hour later when no threat was found. That same day, Villanova University was the target of a call reporting a man with an AR-15-style weapon, followed by more calls with gunshot-like noises in the background and a fabricated report of a gunshot wound. The university president later called the episode "a cruel hoax." Villanova faced yet another false report on August 24, and the University of South Carolina’s library was cleared after a shooter report proved unfounded that evening.
According to the K-12 School Shootings Database cited by USA TODAY, swatting incidents have surged in recent years, with more than 800 cases recorded at U.S. elementary, middle, and high schools from January 2023 to June 2024 alone. The Anti-Defamation League, referencing a former FBI agent, estimates that swatting incidents jumped from 400 in 2011 to over 1,000 in 2019. The FBI, aware of the problem since at least 2008, launched a dedicated database in 2023 to help law enforcement agencies track swatting cases.
So why do people make these dangerous calls? Experts say motivations range from online pranks to targeted harassment, sometimes by individuals seeking a thrill or to disrupt institutions they dislike. Carla Hill, senior director of investigative research at the Anti-Defamation League, noted that swatting began as a hoax among gamers in the early 2000s but has since spread to schools, religious institutions, and public events. "It used to be someone would pull the fire alarm because they didn’t want to go to school. Now they swat the school," Hill explained. The anonymity of modern technology makes tracking down perpetrators challenging. "There’s so many ways you can do it without being traceable," Hill added.
The consequences of swatting extend far beyond wasted police resources. According to Kelly Smith, former assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle office, "We have to treat each one as real until we know it’s a hoax. We direct law enforcement resources away from other active investigations, and that causes a significant strain." In 2023, data scientist David Riedman estimated the cost of police responses to false threats at $82.3 million. More alarmingly, swatting can put innocent people in real danger. In one notorious case, Tyler Barriss was sentenced to 20 years in prison after a swatting call he made led to the fatal police shooting of Andrew Finch in Wichita, Kansas, in 2017.
Universities and law enforcement agencies are now grappling with how best to respond. As Gary Cordner, a former police chief and professor at Arizona State University, told USA TODAY, "The words active shooter are probably just about as fear-inducing as anything you can think of. So make a false report of one of those, until it can be completely dispelled, it certainly induces a whole lot of fear." Cordner emphasized that every report must be thoroughly investigated, given the tragic reality of mass shootings in the U.S. "It can't be ignored, it can't be dismissed, just because the consequences could be so dire," he said.
Some states are responding with tougher laws. In Iowa, legislation that took effect July 1, 2024, increased the penalty for swatting from a misdemeanor to a Class D felony, carrying up to five years in prison. If someone is hurt or killed as a result, the charge can rise to a Class C felony with up to ten years behind bars. Meanwhile, the FBI and local police continue to investigate recent incidents, hoping to identify and prosecute the individuals responsible for this new wave of campus terror.
For students and university communities, the emotional toll is real. As ISU freshman Sam Hopson put it, "That’s crazy. I expect people to focus on getting to class and starting their education and all that, not whatever happened. That’s kind of telling of the state of the country." Others, like freshman Thomas Pratt, drew comfort from the visible police presence: "I feel like campus police does a good job protecting us. So I feel safe inside the building." As the new academic year begins, universities across the nation are left to balance vigilance with reassurance, hoping that the next alert will never be more than a false alarm.
