Campus Alert Archive
UNH

Dimond Library Hoax Prompts Immediate UNH Alert After Social Media Spreads Word First

NHswattingemergency 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.

On August 25, 2025, the Strafford County Sheriff's Office received a call just before 6:30 PM EDT reporting an active shooter at Dimond Library on the UNH Durham campus. UNH and Durham police responded in less than two minutes and quickly confirmed there was no threat. Because information was already circulating on social media, UNH sent an emergency alert immediately informing the community the report was a hoax.

Alerts
1
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
University of New Hampshire
Public R1 · NH
~15,000 studentsUNH Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Verified verbatimUNH Police Department official Facebook post (verbatim)301 chars
At approximately 6:30 p.m., the UNH Police Department responded to a report of shots fired in the library on campus. Officers arrived immediately and conducted a thorough search. It was determined there were NO shots fired, and there is no danger to the community. The call was confirmed to be a hoax.
Verbatim text from the UNH Police Department's official Facebook post on August 25, 2025 at approximately 6:30 PM EDT
UNH chose to send an alert immediately because information was already circulating on social media, unlike some other campuses that opted not to alert
UNH and Durham police arrived on scene in less than two minutes after the initial call to the Strafford County Sheriff's Office
Context

Background

Just before 6:30 PM EDT on August 25, 2025, the Strafford County Sheriff's Office received a call reporting an active shooter at Dimond Library on the University of New Hampshire's Durham campus. UNH and Durham police responded in less than two minutes and quickly confirmed there was no threat. Because information about the calls was already spreading on social media, the university sent an emergency alert immediately, letting the community know the report was a hoax. This proactive approach contrasted with several other universities that week, including Iowa State and the University of Kentucky, which chose not to issue alerts after rapidly resolving similar swatting calls. UNH Police worked with state and federal authorities in the investigation. The incident was part of the same August 25 wave that also hit the University of Arkansas, Iowa State, Kansas State, and the University of Colorado Boulder. The Center for Internet Security later tied these calls to the Purgatory group, which was 'very likely' responsible for false active shooter reports at multiple universities.
Analysis

Key Findings

UNH and Durham police responded in under two minutes and confirmed no threat
UNH chose to send an emergency alert proactively because social media was already spreading information about the calls
The August 25 wave hit at least six campuses including UNH, Arkansas, Iowa State, Kansas State, Maine, and CU Boulder
Outcome
Police confirmed no threat within minutes. An emergency alert was sent proactively because social media had already spread the information. UNH Police coordinated with state and federal authorities.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    UNH police respond to hoax shooter report at Dimond Library amid national trend (The New Hampshire)
    tnhdigital.com
  2. News
    UNH, colleges across the country deal with shooting hoaxes as classes resume (NBC Boston)
    nbcboston.com
  3. News
    FBI investigates college swatting hoaxes terrorizing campuses across US (Fox News)
    foxnews.com
  4. News
    Active Shooter Hoaxes Set Off Alarms on College Campuses (TIME)
    time.com
Tags
swattingpurgatory-waveactive-shooter-hoaxnew-hampshiredimond-librarysocial-media-spreadproactive-alertHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion