Campus Alert Archive
TJC

A Vague Call About the Technology Building Empties Two TJC Campuses

TXswattingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed HoaxDetermined to be a hoax. The institutional response is documented because it reveals how the alert system performed under a perceived real threat.

Tyler Junior College evacuated its West Campus and Pirtle Technology Building on April 13, 2023, after a hoax call about a shooter and multiple victims, one of at least eight Texas colleges swatted that morning. Tyler police received the vague call around 10:30 a.m. CDT about the technology building. TJC sent shelter-in-place alerts around 10:52 a.m. and gave students the all-clear around 11:13 a.m. after no threat was found at either campus.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Tyler Junior College
Community College · TX
~12,000 studentsTJC Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction140 chars
TJC Alert: Possible active shooter reported in the technology building. Shelter in place, lock doors, and remain quiet until further notice.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed wording; the exact TJC Alert text could not be confirmed verbatim, but CBS19 reported students were told of a possible active shooter in the building and sheltered in place trying to stay quiet.
The alert went out roughly 22 minutes after the 10:30 a.m. hoax call about the Pirtle Technology Building on the West Campus.
ALL CLEARSMS+21 min
Approximate reconstruction130 chars
TJC Alert: All clear. No threat was found at either campus. Operations may resume. The reported active shooter was a false report.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed all-clear; CBS19 reported students got an all-clear message around 11:13 a.m. after officers cleared both campuses.
Investigators said the hoax call showed as originating from Oklahoma and that the broader wave of calls was believed to come from outside the United States.
Context

Background

Tyler Junior College was one of at least eight Texas colleges hit by hoax active-shooter calls on April 13, 2023, in a statewide swatting wave that also targeted Del Mar College, Texas Wesleyan, Collin College, Lamar Institute of Technology, Galen College of Nursing, Texas A&M, and Baylor. Tyler police received a vague call about a shooter and multiple victims around 10:30 a.m. CDT at the technology building, prompting TJC to evacuate its West Campus and Pirtle Technology Building. Students received shelter-in-place alerts around 10:52 a.m. and an all-clear around 11:13 a.m.. The Baylor Lariat reported the Texas hoax wave came under federal investigation, with the calls believed to originate from outside the country.
Analysis

Key Findings

TJC sheltered students from about 10:52 to 11:13 a.m. CDT on April 13, 2023, then evacuated its West Campus and Pirtle Technology Building
The incident was one of at least eight coordinated Texas campus swatting hoaxes that morning
The hoax call showed as originating from Oklahoma; the broader wave was believed to come from outside the U.S. and drew a federal investigation
Outcome
Officers searched both campuses and found no shooter and no victims. The all-clear was given by about 11:15 a.m. and the threat was deemed a hoax; the call was traced to a number showing from Oklahoma.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Tyler Junior College had a false active shooter threat Thursday - CBS19
    cbs19.tv
  2. News
    TJC one of several state campuses to receive false active shooter threat - KLTV
    kltv.com
  3. Student Paper
    Active shooter hoax across Texas universities now under federal investigation - The Baylor Lariat
    baylorlariat.com
Tags
swattingactive-shooter-hoaxtexascommunity-collegetylershelter-in-placeemergency-notificationconfirmed-hoax2023-texas-swatting-waveHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion