{
  "id": "2025-08-27-auburn-university-swatting",
  "slug": "auburn-university-swatting-2025-08-27",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Auburn University",
    "shortName": "Auburn",
    "state": "AL",
    "type": "public-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "AU ALERT",
    "enrollment": 33000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-08-27",
    "type": "swatting",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-hoax",
    "headline": "Library evacuated after a false report of a dangerous person; linked to a swatting group",
    "headlinePublic": "Library evacuated after a false report of a dangerous person; linked to a swatting group",
    "summary": "On August 27, 2025, [reports of a dangerous individual near Ralph Brown Draughon Library](https://www.wrbl.com/news/au-shaken-by-swatting-hoax-online-group-may-be-behind-wave-of-false-threats/) prompted emergency alerts and a large law enforcement response at Auburn University. The library was evacuated and searched, with officials confirming the threat was false within the hour. The incident was linked to the [Purgatory swatting group](https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/08/28/extremist-group-claims-responsibility-swatting-calls). Auburn's AU Alert system later [experienced a malfunction](https://www.theplainsman.com/article/2025/11/au-alert-experiences-malfunction) in November 2025, drawing editorial criticism.",
    "outcome": "Officers searched Draughon Library and confirmed no threat was present. The call was determined to be a fabricated swatting hoax. Investigators examined links to the Purgatory extremist network."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2025-08-27T17:07:00-05:00",
      "channel": "multi-channel",
      "verbatimText": "AU ALERT: Heavy Police presence at RBD Library. Please avoid the area.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.facebook.com/AuburnSafety/posts/au-alert-heavy-police-presence-at-rbd-library-please-avoid-the-area/1226655292821240/",
      "sourceDescription": "Auburn University Safety official Facebook post of the 5:07 p.m. CDT AU Alert (also quoted verbatim by WRBL and the Auburn Plainsman)",
      "annotations": [
        "Sent at 5:07 p.m. CDT on August 27, 2025; the terse message used 'Heavy Police presence' rather than 'active shooter' framing",
        "RBD is Auburn's standard abbreviation for the Ralph Brown Draughon Library, one of Auburn's largest academic buildings",
        "Auburn was one of at least 22 universities targeted by swatting hoaxes during the last week of August and early September 2025",
        "The Purgatory swatting group, tied to the extremist network 'The Com,' claimed responsibility"
      ],
      "characterCount": 70
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "Auburn Police immediately responded to a false report of a possible threat on campus. Following a thorough search, authorities determined there was no threat to the Auburn University community.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceDescription": "@AuburnSafety on X (verbatim)",
      "annotations": [
        "Official @AuburnSafety all-clear/false-report post at 5:55 p.m. CDT; display text from fxtwitter (no t.co in expanded body)",
        "Posted ~28 minutes after the 5:27 p.m. CDT heavy-police-presence X post",
        "Wording differs from multi-channel AU ALERT SMS phrasing; this is the official X body"
      ],
      "characterCount": 193,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1960838627639849241",
      "timestamp": "2025-08-27T17:55:34-05:00"
    }
  ],
  "context": "On August 27, 2025, [reports of a dangerous individual near Auburn's Ralph Brown Draughon Library](https://www.wrbl.com/news/au-shaken-by-swatting-hoax-online-group-may-be-behind-wave-of-false-threats/) triggered emergency alerts and a large law enforcement response. The library was evacuated and searched, with officers confirming the threat was false within the hour. Investigators examined links to the [Purgatory extremist group](https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/08/28/extremist-group-claims-responsibility-swatting-calls), which had claimed responsibility for a wave of at least [22 swatting hoaxes at American colleges](https://www.thetrace.org/2025/09/swatting-school-shooting-hoax-trauma/) during the last week of August and early September 2025. Auburn's experience was compounded in November 2025, when the [AU Alert system malfunctioned](https://www.theplainsman.com/article/2025/11/au-alert-experiences-malfunction), accidentally sending false alerts about an active shooter, tornado, and hazmat incident. The [Auburn Plainsman editorial board criticized](https://www.theplainsman.com/article/2025/11/editorial-au-alert-cries-wolf) the system's reliability in the wake of both the August swatting and the November malfunction, arguing that repeated false alarms erode trust in emergency notifications. [Alabama Reflector](https://alabamareflector.com/briefs/auburn-university-apologizes-for-accidentally-sending-shooter-tornado-hazmat-alerts/) reported that Auburn apologized for the accidental alerts.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Auburn was one of 22+ universities targeted by swatting hoaxes during late August and early September 2025, a wave for which the Purgatory extremist group claimed responsibility",
    "The November 2025 AU Alert malfunction (which sent false shooter, tornado, and hazmat alerts) drew an apology from Auburn and editorial criticism from the Auburn Plainsman",
    "The Auburn Plainsman editorial board criticized the 'cry wolf' effect of repeated false alarms on emergency notification credibility"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "AU ALERT: Heavy Police presence at RBD Library. Please avoid the area - Auburn University Safety (Facebook)",
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/AuburnSafety/posts/au-alert-heavy-police-presence-at-rbd-library-please-avoid-the-area/1226655292821240/",
      "type": "official-social"
    },
    {
      "title": "Auburn University shaken by swatting hoax (WRBL)",
      "url": "https://www.wrbl.com/news/au-shaken-by-swatting-hoax-online-group-may-be-behind-wave-of-false-threats/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Extremist Group Claims Responsibility for Swatting Calls (Inside Higher Ed)",
      "url": "https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/08/28/extremist-group-claims-responsibility-swatting-calls",
      "type": "national-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "AU Alert experiences malfunction (Auburn Plainsman)",
      "url": "https://www.theplainsman.com/article/2025/11/au-alert-experiences-malfunction",
      "type": "student-newspaper"
    },
    {
      "title": "Auburn University apologizes for accidental alerts (Alabama Reflector)",
      "url": "https://alabamareflector.com/briefs/auburn-university-apologizes-for-accidentally-sending-shooter-tornado-hazmat-alerts/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "More Than 20 Active Shooting Hoaxes Have Locked Down Colleges (The Trace)",
      "url": "https://www.thetrace.org/2025/09/swatting-school-shooting-hoax-trauma/",
      "type": "national-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "@AuburnSafety on X — false report / no threat (Aug 27 2025)",
      "url": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1960838627639849241",
      "type": "official-social"
    },
    {
      "title": "@AuburnSafety on X — heavy police presence RBD Library",
      "url": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1960831572304687187",
      "type": "official-social"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "swatting",
    "purgatory",
    "library",
    "alabama",
    "alert-system-malfunction",
    "coordinated-attack",
    "student-journalism"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-19",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}