{
  "id": "2025-08-25-northern-arizona-university-swatting",
  "slug": "northern-arizona-university-swatting-2025-08-25",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Northern Arizona University",
    "shortName": "NAU",
    "state": "AZ",
    "type": "public-r2",
    "alertSystemName": "NAU Alert",
    "enrollment": 29000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-08-25",
    "type": "swatting",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-hoax",
    "headline": "Hoax report of a rifle in the library forces an evacuation on the first day of classes",
    "headlinePublic": "Hoax report of a rifle in the library forces an evacuation on the first day of classes",
    "summary": "On August 25, 2025, [NAU Police received a 911 call just before 9:30 AM MST](https://www.azfamily.com/2025/08/25/no-threats-found-after-reports-gunman-nau-library-flagstaff/) from a person identifying himself as 'Jacob' who claimed a man with a rifle was inside Cline Library, with fake gunshot sounds in the background. The [NAU SAFE alert system notified students at 9:26 AM MST](https://www.knau.org/knau-and-arizona-news/2025-08-25/nau-building-evacuated-after-reports-of-person-with-a-gun) on their first day of fall classes, and the library was evacuated and cleared by 11:36 AM MST.",
    "outcome": "No armed person, shots, or injuries were found. The 911 call was determined to be a hoax. The FBI assisted in the investigation. Cline Library reopened by noon."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Approximately 9:26 AM MST on August 25, 2025",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "KNAU Public Radio and Arizona's Family (3TV/CBS 5) reporting",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestampApprox": "Approximately 9:41 AM MST on August 25, 2025",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "KNAU Public Radio reporting",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "update",
      "timestampApprox": "Approximately 10:29 AM MST on August 25, 2025",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "KNAU Public Radio reporting",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 4,
      "type": "update",
      "timestampApprox": "Afternoon of August 25, 2025 MST",
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "🔔 Campus Update 🔔\nEarlier today, the NAU Police Department received a report of a person with a gun at Cline Library on the Flagstaff mountain campus. \n\nThe report was determined to be a hoax, and at no time was there an active threat to the NAU community",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/NAU/status/1960052512201068824",
      "sourceDescription": "@NAU on X (verbatim)",
      "annotations": [
        "Official @NAU same-day caption: hoax determination for Cline Library report.",
        "Attached graphic (seq5) carries the separate final all-clear body text.",
        "Snowflake 1960052512201068824 → 2025-08-25T18:51:49Z."
      ],
      "characterCount": 257,
      "timestamp": "2025-08-25T11:51:49-07:00"
    },
    {
      "sequence": 5,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "🔔 Campus Update 🔔\nEarlier today, the NAU Police Department received a report of a person with a gun at Cline Library on the Flagstaff mountain campus. \n\nThe report was determined to be a hoax, and at no time was there an active threat to the NAU community",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceDescription": "@NAU on X (verbatim)",
      "annotations": [
        "Corrected: seq5 is the attached Campus Update graphic all-clear text (distinct from the caption about the hoax).",
        "Full text legible on official @NAU status image; snowflake 1960052512201068824 → 2025-08-25T18:51:49Z.",
        "Caption (seq4) and graphic body (seq5) are different official messages in the same post."
      ],
      "characterCount": 257,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/NAU/status/1960052512201068824",
      "timestamp": "2025-08-25T11:51:49-07:00",
      "confidence": "high",
      "archiveUrl": null,
      "lastUpdated": "2026-07-18"
    }
  ],
  "context": "On August 25, 2025, the first day of fall classes at Northern Arizona University, the [NAUPD received a 911 call just before 9:30 AM MST](https://www.azfamily.com/2025/08/25/no-threats-found-after-reports-gunman-nau-library-flagstaff/) from a person who identified himself as 'Jacob' and claimed a man with a rifle was inside [Cline Library](https://legacy.nau.edu/library/) on the Flagstaff Mountain Campus. Fake gunshot sounds were audible in the background of the call, a [hallmark of the Purgatory swatting group's tactics](https://www.azfamily.com/2025/08/29/911-call-nau-shooting-hoax-mimics-fear-has-gunshot-sounds/). The NAU SAFE alert system notified students at 9:26 AM MST, and the library was evacuated as NAUPD, Flagstaff Police, Coconino County Sheriff's deputies, and federal agents swarmed the campus. Students on their way to morning classes were redirected as officers cleared the building floor by floor. The main area was cleared by 10:29 AM MST, and the [full all-clear was issued at approximately 11:36 AM MST](https://www.knau.org/knau-and-arizona-news/2025-08-25/nau-building-evacuated-after-reports-of-person-with-a-gun). NAU confirmed the report was a hoax and stated there was never an active threat to the campus community. The incident was part of a [coordinated wave of swatting attacks](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/colleges-shooting-hoaxes-rcna227136) on the same day targeting Iowa State, Kansas State, the University of Arkansas, CU Boulder, and the University of New Hampshire.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "The 911 caller used a fake name ('Jacob') and included prerecorded gunshot audio, consistent with the Purgatory swatting group's documented methods",
    "NAU's initial alert notably warned the incident could be a hoax while still directing evacuation, reflecting growing institutional awareness of the swatting trend",
    "The over-two-hour disruption on the first day of classes affected thousands of students beginning their fall semester"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Reports of gunman at NAU library determined to be hoax (Arizona's Family)",
      "url": "https://www.azfamily.com/2025/08/25/no-threats-found-after-reports-gunman-nau-library-flagstaff/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "NAU building evacuated after reports of person with a gun (KNAU Public Radio)",
      "url": "https://www.knau.org/knau-and-arizona-news/2025-08-25/nau-building-evacuated-after-reports-of-person-with-a-gun",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "911 call from NAU shooting hoax mimics fear, has gunshot sounds (Arizona's Family)",
      "url": "https://www.azfamily.com/2025/08/29/911-call-nau-shooting-hoax-mimics-fear-has-gunshot-sounds/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "NAU responds to report of gun on Flagstaff campus (Arizona Daily Sun)",
      "url": "https://azdailysun.com/news/local/northern-arizona-university-responds-to-report-of-gun-on-flagstaff-campus-all-clear-issued/article_9171cb0c-ba2c-44e3-b570-0917cbbc91b3.html",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://x.com/NAU/status/1960052512201068824",
      "title": "@NAU on X",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "dateAccessed": "2026-07-18"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "swatting",
    "active-shooter-hoax",
    "purgatory",
    "library",
    "cline-library",
    "arizona",
    "first-day-of-classes",
    "simulated-gunfire",
    "public-university"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-19",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}