{
  "id": "2025-08-19-doane-university-swatting",
  "slug": "doane-university-swatting-2025-08-19",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Doane University",
    "shortName": "Doane",
    "state": "NE",
    "type": "private-liberal-arts",
    "enrollment": 2800
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-08-19",
    "type": "swatting",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-hoax",
    "headline": "Report of an armed suspect on the second day of classes determined to be a swatting hoax",
    "headlinePublic": "Report of an armed suspect on the second day of classes determined to be a swatting hoax",
    "summary": "On August 19, 2025, at 8:44 AM CDT, [Doane University received a report of a possible armed suspect](https://nebraska.tv/news/local/false-threat-prompts-lockdown-at-doane-university-authorities-suspect-swatting) in the restroom of the Communications Building on the Crete campus, the second day of fall classes. Fifteen officers from [Crete PD, Saline County Sheriff's Office, and Doane Public Safety](https://www.1011now.com/2025/08/19/kind-terrifying-swatting-call-shakes-up-doane-universitys-second-day-classes/) responded and issued an all-clear by 9:41 AM CDT.",
    "outcome": "No armed person was found. The incident was determined to be a swatting call. Crete Police noted inconsistencies in the call. The investigation continued in coordination with Nebraska City Police Department."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Shortly after 8:44 AM CDT on August 19, 2025",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "1011 NOW Lincoln and Nebraska.TV reporting",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestampApprox": "Approximately 9:41 AM CDT on August 19, 2025",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Nebraska.TV and Nebraska Public Media reporting",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "follow-up",
      "timestampApprox": "Late morning to afternoon of August 19, 2025 CDT, after the all-clear",
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "All clear has been issued on Doane’s Crete campus. The report was determined to be a swatting incident. Campus safety remains our top priority.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/DoaneUniversity/status/1957836747200471161",
      "sourceDescription": "@DoaneUniversity on X (verbatim)",
      "annotations": [
        "Doane's follow-up social media post thanked responding agencies but stopped short of using the word 'swatting' in the post itself",
        "The post mirrored the institutional pattern of pivoting from emergency directive to gratitude messaging once the all-clear was given",
        "Crete PD and the Saline County Sheriff's Office both received public credit by name",
        "Corrected to exact fxtwitter display text.",
        "Verified complete alert text on https://x.com/DoaneUniversity/status/1957836747200471161; archiveUrl null."
      ],
      "characterCount": 143,
      "confidence": "high",
      "archiveUrl": null,
      "lastUpdated": "2026-07-18",
      "timestamp": "2025-08-19T11:07:10-05:00"
    }
  ],
  "context": "On August 19, 2025, the second day of fall classes at Doane University, a small liberal arts college in Crete, Nebraska, campus security received a [report at 8:44 AM CDT of a possible armed suspect](https://nebraska.tv/news/local/false-threat-prompts-lockdown-at-doane-university-authorities-suspect-swatting) in the restroom of the Communications Building. A lockout/secure notice was immediately issued, and [fifteen officers from the Crete Police Department, Saline County Sheriff's Office, and Doane Public Safety](https://www.1011now.com/2025/08/19/kind-terrifying-swatting-call-shakes-up-doane-universitys-second-day-classes/) converged on the campus. The building was searched and cleared, with an all-clear issued at 9:41 AM CDT. The university's mobile ID system, implemented the prior year, allowed officials to remotely secure buildings within seconds. [Crete Police Chief Gary Young](https://www.klkntv.com/kind-of-nerve-racking-swatting-incident-causes-lockdown-on-doane-campus/) noted inconsistencies in the call that led to suspicion it was a swatting incident. The [investigation continued in coordination with Nebraska City Police](https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/report-of-armed-suspect-on-doane-university-campus-determined-to-be-swatting-call/) to develop leads. Doane, with an enrollment of about 2,800, is one of the smallest institutions targeted in the August 2025 swatting wave, predating the higher-profile Villanova and UTC incidents by two days. Students described the experience as 'kind of terrifying' and 'nerve-racking.'",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Doane was one of the earliest targets in the August 2025 university swatting wave, hit on August 19, two days before the Villanova and UTC incidents on August 21",
    "As a small liberal arts college with about 2,800 students, Doane shows the swatting campaign was not limited to large research universities",
    "Crete Police Chief noted inconsistencies in the call, suggesting experienced dispatchers can identify potential hoaxes even without advance warning"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "False threat prompts lockdown at Doane University (Nebraska.TV)",
      "url": "https://nebraska.tv/news/local/false-threat-prompts-lockdown-at-doane-university-authorities-suspect-swatting",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Swatting call shakes up Doane University's second day of classes (1011 NOW)",
      "url": "https://www.1011now.com/2025/08/19/kind-terrifying-swatting-call-shakes-up-doane-universitys-second-day-classes/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Swatting incident causes lockdown on Doane campus (KLKN TV)",
      "url": "https://www.klkntv.com/kind-of-nerve-racking-swatting-incident-causes-lockdown-on-doane-campus/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Report of armed suspect at Doane determined to be swatting call (Nebraska Public Media)",
      "url": "https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/report-of-armed-suspect-on-doane-university-campus-determined-to-be-swatting-call/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://x.com/DoaneUniversity/status/1957836747200471161",
      "title": "@DoaneUniversity on X (verbatim raw t.co)",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "dateAccessed": "2026-07-18"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "swatting",
    "active-shooter-hoax",
    "nebraska",
    "small-college",
    "communications-building",
    "private-liberal-arts",
    "early-wave"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-18",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}