Campus Alert Archive
USC

False 911 calls with simulated gunfire trigger an active-shooter alert at the library

AI-generated · every claim is source-linked
SCswattingemergency notificationmedium confidence
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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 24, 2025, USCPD dispatch received two 911 calls within two minutes reporting an active shooter at Thomas Cooper Library, with the unknown male caller using background noise that mimicked gunfire. The Carolina Alert system sent a full active shooter notification with Run-Hide-Fight instructions to the campus community.

Alerts
4
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of South Carolina
Public R1 · SC
All USC cases →
~35,000 studentsCarolina Alert
Official alert policy
Read when and how USC says it will use Carolina Alert: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

4 messages in sequence · 4 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTTwitter/X
Verified verbatim164 chars
Urgent Carolina Alert: Active Shooter at Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus. Subject reported as 6ft white male with black pants. http://sc.edu/carolinaalert.
Verify this quote
@CarolinaAlert on X (verbatim)x.comarchived copy
Sent shortly after the second 911 call at 6:32:20 PM EDT, the unknown male caller's hoax included background noise that mimicked gunfire
Pushes a granular suspect description ('6ft white male with black pants') sourced from the swatting caller, the same caller who fabricated the shooter report in the first place
Carolina Alert posted this same text to X (Twitter) as well as sending it via SMS, email, and other channels
Corrected to exact fxtwitter display text.
UPDATETwitter/X
Verified verbatim155 chars
Urgent Carolina Alert: No evident of an Active Shooter at this time. Police are searching. Please continue to shelter in place until there is an all clear.
Verify this quote
@CarolinaAlert on X (verbatim raw t.co)x.comarchived copy
Posted verbatim by the official Carolina Alert account and quoted word-for-word by CNN and WLTX
Includes Run-Hide-Fight instructions ('Defend yourself if you encounter the suspect')
The caller claimed to have seen a person carrying a firearm going into Thomas Cooper Library
UPDATESMS
Verified verbatim155 chars
Urgent Carolina Alert: No evident of an Active Shooter at this time. Police are searching. Please continue to shelter in place until there is an all clear.
Verify this quote
Carolina Alert official X/Twitter account, verbatim post at approximately 7:10 PM EDT; text also confirmed via official Facebook postx.comarchived copy
Verbatim text confirmed from the official @CarolinaAlert X post; the word 'evident' is the original typo in the sent alert (should be 'evidence'), typo preserved per archive policy
Despite the typo, the message clearly communicates there is no active shooter and instructs continued shelter-in-place
This message was notable for continuing to instruct shelter-in-place even as police found no evidence of a threat
ALL CLEARSMS
Verified verbatim121 chars
Carolina Alert: ALL CLEAR. ALL CLEAR. There is no ongoing emergency at this time; you no longer need to shelter in place.
Verify this quote
WLTX quoting the Carolina Alert all-clear verbatimwltx.comarchived copy
WLTX quoted this all-clear text exactly as sent, including the doubled 'ALL CLEAR. ALL CLEAR.' for emphasis
Notably brief, does not yet characterize the incident as a hoax (that came in later official statements)
SLED was brought in to assist with the investigation into the false reports
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

Urgent Carolina Alert: Active Shooter at Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus. Subject reported as 6ft white male with black pants. http://sc.edu/carolinaalert.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree the sender is present; the message opens with the branded "Urgent Carolina Alert".

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It opens with "Urgent Carolina Alert:", a branded signature identifying the sender.
    2. present: The branded signature "Urgent Carolina Alert" identifies the sender.
    3. present: The branded tag "Carolina Alert" identifies the university sender.
    4. present: It opens with "Urgent Carolina Alert", a branded sender signature.
    5. present: The message opens with "Urgent Carolina Alert", a branded sender signature.
    6. present: The message opens with the branded signature "Urgent Carolina Alert", which identifies the sender.
    7. present: Opens with "Urgent Carolina Alert", identifying the issuing system.
    8. present: Opens with branded signature "Urgent Carolina Alert", identifying the sender.
    9. present: Opens with "Urgent Carolina Alert", the branded signature identifying the sender.
    10. present: It is headed "Urgent Carolina Alert", a branded sender tag.
    11. present: Opens with "Urgent Carolina Alert", identifying the sender.
    12. present: Opens with the branded signature "Urgent Carolina Alert", identifying the sender.
    13. present: The branded signature "Urgent Carolina Alert" identifies the sender.
    14. present: Opens with the branded signature "Urgent Carolina Alert", identifying the sender.
    15. present: Opens with "Urgent Carolina Alert", a branded signature identifying the sender.
    16. present: Opens with "Urgent Carolina Alert", identifying the sender.
    17. present: Opens with "Urgent Carolina Alert", a branded signature identifying the sender.
    18. present: The message opens with "Urgent Carolina Alert", identifying the sender.
    19. present: The message opens with "Urgent Carolina Alert", a branded sender signature.
    20. present: It opens with the branded sender "Urgent Carolina Alert", identifying the issuer.
    21. present: Opens with branded signature "Urgent Carolina Alert", identifying the sender.
    22. present: It opens with "Urgent Carolina Alert", a branded sender signature.
    23. present: It is an "Urgent Carolina Alert", a branded signature identifying the sender.
    24. present: Opens with the branded signature "Urgent Carolina Alert", identifying the sender.
    25. present: It opens with "Urgent Carolina Alert", a branded signature identifying the sender.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree a hazard is present, reporting an active shooter.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It names "Active Shooter", a specific threat.
    2. present: It names "Active Shooter", a specific threat.
    3. present: It reports an "Active Shooter", a specific threat.
    4. present: It names "Active Shooter", a specific hazard.
    5. present: It names "Active Shooter", a specific threat.
    6. present: It names "Active Shooter", a specific threat.
    7. present: Names "Active Shooter", a specific threat.
    8. present: It names "Active Shooter at Thomas Cooper Library", a specific threat.
    9. present: Names "Active Shooter", a specific threat.
    10. present: It names an "Active Shooter", a specific threat.
    11. present: Names "Active Shooter", a specific hazard.
    12. present: It names an "Active Shooter", a specific threat.
    13. present: It names the threat specifically: "Active Shooter at Thomas Cooper Library".
    14. present: Names the hazard specifically as "Active Shooter at Thomas Cooper Library".
    15. present: Names "Active Shooter", a specific hazard, with a suspect description.
    16. present: Names "Active Shooter", a specific threat.
    17. present: Names "Active Shooter", a specific hazard.
    18. present: It reports "Active Shooter at Thomas Cooper Library", a specific hazard.
    19. present: It names "Active Shooter", a specific threat.
    20. present: It reports an "Active Shooter", a specific hazard.
    21. present: Names "Active Shooter", a specific hazard.
    22. present: It names "Active Shooter at Thomas Cooper Library", a specific hazard.
    23. present: It names "Active Shooter", a specific hazard.
    24. present: Names "Active Shooter", a specific threat.
    25. present: It reports an "Active Shooter at Thomas Cooper Library", a specific threat.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All reads agree a location is present, naming Thomas Cooper Library on the Columbia campus.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
    2. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
    3. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus".
    4. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
    5. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus".
    6. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
    7. present: Names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
    8. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", specific places.
    9. present: Names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
    10. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
    11. present: Says "at Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
    12. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
    13. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", specific places.
    14. present: Specifies "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", named places.
    15. present: Names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific location.
    16. present: Names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
    17. present: Names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", specific places.
    18. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific location.
    19. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
    20. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
    21. present: Names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
    22. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
    23. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", specific places.
    24. present: Names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", specific locations.
    25. present: It names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus", a specific place.
  • Guidanceabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree no protective action is given; the message describes the subject without instructing recipients.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: It describes the subject but gives recipients no protective action to take.
    2. absent: It describes the suspect but gives recipients no protective action.
    3. absent: It describes the subject but gives recipients no protective instruction.
    4. absent: It describes the subject but gives recipients no protective instruction.
    5. absent: It describes the shooter but gives recipients no protective action instruction.
    6. absent: It describes the subject but gives recipients no protective action to take.
    7. absent: Describes the subject but gives recipients no protective action instruction.
    8. absent: It describes the subject but gives recipients no protective action to take.
    9. absent: It describes the subject but gives recipients no protective action.
    10. absent: It describes the subject but gives recipients no protective instruction.
    11. absent: It describes the subject but gives recipients no protective instruction in this text.
    12. absent: It gives no protective action to recipients, only a suspect description.
    13. absent: It describes the suspect but gives recipients no protective action.
    14. absent: It describes the subject but gives recipients no protective action instruction.
    15. absent: Reports the threat and suspect description but gives no protective action.
    16. absent: The message describes the subject but gives recipients no protective instruction.
    17. absent: No protective action is directed at recipients; it only describes the threat and subject.
    18. absent: It describes the subject but gives recipients no protective action instruction.
    19. absent: No protective action is instructed; it only describes the subject.
    20. absent: It describes the subject but gives recipients no protective action to take.
    21. absent: No protective action instructed to recipients; only describes the subject.
    22. absent: It describes the subject but gives recipients no protective action instruction.
    23. absent: It describes the subject but gives no protective action instruction to recipients.
    24. absent: Reports the shooter and description; gives recipients no protective action instruction.
    25. absent: It describes the subject but gives recipients no protective instruction in this text.
  • Timeabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree no timing is present; no clock time, date, or recency cue appears.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue such as "now" appears.
    2. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears.
    3. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue such as "now" or "immediately" appears.
    4. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears in the text.
    5. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue such as "now" or "immediately" appears.
    6. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears; "active shooter" is the hazard, not a time.
    7. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears in the text.
    8. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears; "Active" is part of the hazard.
    9. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue such as "now" or "immediately" appears.
    10. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears in the text.
    11. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears; "active" is part of the hazard.
    12. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears.
    13. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears in the text.
    14. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears; "Active" is part of the hazard.
    15. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue such as "now" or "immediately" appears.
    16. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears in the message.
    17. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears; "Active" is part of the hazard.
    18. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears in the text.
    19. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears; "Active Shooter" is hazard not time.
    20. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears; "Active" is part of the hazard.
    21. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears; "Active" is part of the hazard.
    22. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue such as "now" or "immediately" appears.
    23. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears.
    24. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears; "Active" is part of the hazard.
    25. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue appears.
  • Impactpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous present; all reads agree an active shooter at a campus library conveys imminent lethal danger to people.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Reports an active shooter at a library and describes the subject, conveying clear lethal danger (though later swatting).
    2. present: Reports an active shooter at a library, conveying lethal danger to people.
    3. present: States there is an active shooter at the library, conveying immediate lethal danger.
    4. present: It declares an active shooter at the library with a subject description, conveying explicit lethal danger even though it was a swatting hoax.
    5. present: It reports an active shooter at the library with a subject description, conveying a lethal danger.
    6. present: States there is an active shooter at the library, conveying immediate lethal danger.
    7. present: It reports an active shooter at the library which conveys a deadly immediate threat.
    8. present: Reports an active shooter at a library, conveying a lethal threat to people.
    9. present: Reports an active shooter at a library and describes the subject, the active shooter conveying clear deadly danger.
    10. present: The alert states there is an active shooter at the library, conveying an imminent deadly threat to people.
    11. present: Reports an active shooter at the library, conveying an active lethal threat.
    12. present: The alert reports an active shooter and describes the subject, conveying a deadly threat regardless of later being a swatting hoax.
    13. present: The alert reports an active shooter at a library with a subject description, conveying an immediate lethal threat regardless of it later being a swatting hoax.
    14. present: States there is an active shooter at a library, conveying lethal danger.
    15. present: States there is an active shooter at the library, conveying an imminent life threat.
    16. present: The alert states there is an active shooter at the library, the active shooter conveying explicit lethal danger to people.
    17. present: It reports an active shooter at a library and describes the subject, conveying an imminent deadly threat though it was a swatting incident.
    18. present: The message reports an active shooter at a library and describes the subject, conveying a deadly threat requiring urgent response.
    19. present: It reports an active shooter at the library and describes the subject, with an active shooter conveying a lethal threat.
    20. present: Reports an active shooter at the library and describes the subject, conveying clear deadly danger despite being a swatting incident.
    21. present: States there is an active shooter at the library which conveys an explicit life-threatening danger.
    22. present: Reports an active shooter at a library, conveying a clear lethal threat regardless of being a swatting hoax.
    23. present: Reports an active shooter at the library with a subject description, conveying an explicit deadly threat.
    24. present: The urgent alert reports an active shooter at the library with a subject description, conveying an imminent deadly threat.
    25. present: Reports an active shooter at the library, conveying deadly danger.

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

On the evening of August 24, 2025, USCPD dispatch received two 911 calls within two minutes, at 6:30:42 PM EDT and 6:32:20 PM EDT, from an unknown male claiming an active shooter was at Thomas Cooper Library on the University of South Carolina's Columbia campus. Both calls included background noise that mimicked gunfire, a tactic designed to make the false report sound more credible. The Carolina Alert system sent a full active shooter notification directing students to evacuate, shelter, and defend themselves. Students in the library and surrounding buildings took cover, sending frantic texts to family members. By approximately 7:10 PM EDT, police reported finding no evidence of a shooter but continued sweeping the area. The incident was confirmed as a swatting hoax, part of a nationwide wave of false active shooter reports targeting university libraries in late August 2025. SLED and USCPD launched an investigation, and a Pennsylvania juvenile, a self-identified member of the Purgatory group, was later charged in connection with the USC hoax and a series of 2025 swatting calls at randomly selected universities. Parents and students later questioned whether the university's emergency protocols were adequate for handling swatting incidents.
Analysis

Key Findings

The 911 caller used background noise mimicking gunfire to make the false report sound credible, a sophisticated swatting tactic
The Carolina Alert system sent a full active shooter message with Run-Hide-Fight instructions before the hoax was confirmed
The incident was part of the August 2025 nationwide university swatting wave attributed to the extremist group Purgatory
Outcome
Police found no evidence of a shooting after sweeping the library and surrounding area. The incident was confirmed as a swatting hoax. SLED and USCPD launched an investigation.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below—and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert—to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. News
    Officials: USC was target of swatting hoax (WIS-TV)
    wistv.com
    archived copy
  2. News
    University of South Carolina lifts active shooter alert at Thomas Cooper Library (WLTX)
    wltx.com
    archived copy
  3. News
    University of South Carolina: Active shooter report was a hoax (CNN)
    cnn.com
    archived copy
  4. Source
    USC Swatting Incident Highlights Growing Trend (Campus Safety Magazine)
    campussafetymagazine.com
    archived copy
  5. News
    Juvenile charged for shooting hoax at South Carolina college (Post and Courier)
    postandcourier.com
    archived copy
  6. Official
    @CarolinaAlert on X
    x.com
    archived copy
  7. Official
    @CarolinaAlert on X (verbatim raw t.co)
    x.com
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "University of South Carolina: False 911 calls with simulated gunfire trigger an active-shooter alert at the library." Incident of August 24, 2025. Added April 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/university-of-south-carolina-swatting-2025-08-24/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
swattingactive-shooter-hoaxpurgatorylibrarysouth-carolinarun-hide-fightsimulated-gunfirepublic-universityHoax
Added April 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion