Campus Alert Archive
UToledo

13 Minutes of Terror: UToledo Health Science Campus Locks Down Over False Active Aggressor Report

OHswattingemergency 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 27, 2024, the University of Toledo Police Department received a false report of an active aggressor at the Health Science Campus, triggering a 'RUN, HIDE, FIGHT' alert. Officers responded to Lot 42 just after 2:15 PM EDT and determined the report was false by 2:28 PM, with the all-clear issued one minute later.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of Toledo
Public R2 · OH
~15,000 studentsUToledo Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

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 ALERTPush
Verified verbatimWTOL News (quoting UToledo Police social media post)142 chars
Police are responding to an active aggressor report on the Health Science Campus Lot 41. Stay away. Take protective actions. RUN, HIDE, FIGHT.
Verbatim text from UToledo Police social media post quoted by WTOL; posted six minutes after officers initially responded to Lot 42 at 2:15 PM EDT on August 27, 2024
Used the standard RUN, HIDE, FIGHT protocol language adopted by most universities
The lot reference shifted from Lot 42 (where officers initially responded) to Lot 41 in the alert
ALL CLEARPush+8 min
Approximate reconstruction151 chars
UToledo UPDATE: All clear. The active aggressor report on the Health Science Campus has been determined to be a false report. Resume normal activities.

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

Reconstructed from news coverage; at 2:28 PM the incident was determined to be false, and the all-clear was posted at 2:29 PM EDT
The entire incident lasted approximately 13 minutes from first officer response to all-clear
UToledo Police confirmed there was no threat to the community
Context

Background

On the afternoon of August 27, 2024, the University of Toledo Police Department received a report of an active aggressor at the Health Science Campus. Officers responded to Lot 42 just after 2:15 PM EDT, and six minutes later the university posted an alert directing people to stay away and take protective actions using the RUN, HIDE, FIGHT protocol. At 2:28 PM, officers on scene determined the report was false, and the university announced the all-clear one minute later at 2:29 PM. The entire incident lasted approximately 13 minutes from first response to resolution. The false report came during a period when universities nationwide were experiencing a surge in swatting calls and false active shooter reports.
Analysis

Key Findings

The false report was resolved in approximately 13 minutes, demonstrating rapid verification by responding officers
The incident triggered a RUN, HIDE, FIGHT alert on the Health Science Campus before the report was debunked
The false alarm occurred during a nationwide surge of swatting incidents targeting universities
Outcome
The incident was determined to be a false report within approximately 13 minutes of the initial response. No injuries were reported, and normal campus activities resumed immediately after the all-clear was issued at 2:29 PM EDT.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    UToledo police: Alert of aggressor on campus was false alarm (WTOL)
    wtol.com
  2. News
    All clear given at UToledo after active aggressor report (13abc)
    13abc.com
Tags
false-alarmswattingactive-aggressorhealth-science-campusohiorapid-resolutionrun-hide-fightHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion