Campus Alert Archive
WVU

WVU's 28-Minute Response: From Swatting Call to All-Clear in Morgantown

WVswattingemergency 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 26, 2025, West Virginia University received a hoax call reporting gunshots on the downtown campus. WVU issued a text alert at 7:43 AM EDT warning of possible gunfire near Wise Library. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded, cleared the building, and issued an all-clear at 8:06 AM EDT, just 28 minutes after the initial call.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
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Institution
West Virginia University
Public R1 · WV
~26,000 studentsWVU 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 ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction151 chars
WVU ALERT: Possible gunfire reported in the area of Wise Library on the downtown campus. Avoid the area. Seek shelter immediately. This is not a drill.

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

The initial 911 call came in to MECCA 911 dispatch after 7:30 AM EDT on August 26, 2025, reporting gunshots on WVU's downtown Morgantown campus
WVU issued the text alert at 7:43 AM EDT, approximately 5 minutes after the dispatch call
Multiple agencies responded including Morgantown PD, Star City PD, and Monongalia County Sheriff's Department
ALL CLEARSMS+23 min
Verified verbatimWV MetroNews (verbatim statement from WVU Police Chief Sherry St. Clair)609 chars
Like many other higher education institutions across the country, we believe West Virginia University was the target of a 'swatting' incident this morning on the Downtown area of the Morgantown Campus. M.E.C.C.A. 911 notified University Police Dispatch of a call reporting shots had been fired at the Downtown Library. With support from other area law enforcement agencies, including the Morgantown Police Department, the Star City Police Department and the Monongalia County Sheriff's Department, officers quickly arrived at the scene, efficiently cleared the building and determined this was a false report.
Verbatim official statement from WVU Police Department Chief Sherry St. Clair quoted by WV MetroNews on August 26, 2025
The all-clear text and email message to campus went out at 8:06 AM EDT, just 23 minutes after the initial alert at 7:43 AM
WVU Police efficiently cleared the building with support from Morgantown PD, Star City PD, and Monongalia County Sheriff's Department
Context

Background

A call came in to MECCA 911 dispatch after 7:30 AM EDT on August 26, 2025, reporting gunshots on West Virginia University's downtown Morgantown campus. At 7:43 AM, WVU issued a text alert to students, faculty, and staff warning of possible gunfire in the area of Wise Library and instructing the community to avoid the area and seek shelter. Officers from WVU Police, the Morgantown Police Department, Star City Police Department, and Monongalia County Sheriff's Department responded and quickly cleared the building. A second all-clear text and email went out at 8:06 AM EDT. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that WVU was part of a wave affecting more than 10 universities in the preceding five days. The WVU student newspaper, The Daily Athenaeum, quoted the UPD Chief saying the reports were suspected to be swatting. The FBI was investigating the broader pattern of campus swatting calls.
Analysis

Key Findings

WVU issued its initial alert within approximately 5 minutes of the 911 call and cleared the incident within 28 minutes total
Unlike some other campuses hit the same week, WVU chose to issue a campus-wide alert rather than resolve silently
Multiple law enforcement agencies from the Morgantown area coordinated the response
Outcome
The building was cleared and the all-clear was issued at 8:06 AM. No injuries, no evidence of any shooting. The incident was confirmed as a swatting hoax and investigated as part of the national trend.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    WVU hit with hoax 'swatting' call reporting active shooter (Dominion Post)
    dominionpost.com
  2. News
    WVU says 'shots fired' call was a hoax; FBI says 'swatting' calls taken seriously (WV MetroNews)
    wvmetronews.com
  3. Student Paper
    UPD Chief says reports of gunshots suspected to be 'swatting' (The Daily Athenaeum)
    thedaonline.com
  4. News
    Colleges, including WVU, grapple with hoax shooting calls (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
    post-gazette.com
  5. News
    Wave of active shooter hoaxes at universities reaches WVU (WSAZ)
    wsaz.com
Tags
swattingpurgatory-waveactive-shooter-hoaxwest-virginiawise-librarymulti-agency-responsefbi-investigationHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion