{
  "id": "2023-01-12-oklahoma-christian-university-shooting-threat",
  "slug": "oklahoma-christian-university-shooting-threat-2023-01-12",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Oklahoma Christian University",
    "shortName": "OC",
    "state": "OK",
    "type": "private-liberal-arts",
    "alertSystemName": "OC Emergency Alert"
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2023-01-12",
    "type": "swatting",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-hoax",
    "headline": "Phoned mass-shooting threat prompts a 68-minute lockdown; call traced out of state",
    "headlinePublic": "Phoned mass-shooting threat prompts a 68-minute lockdown; call traced out of state",
    "summary": "On the afternoon of January 12, 2023, [Oklahoma Christian University placed its campus on lockdown](https://okcfox.com/news/local/ocu-placed-on-lockdown-after-receiving-mass-shooting-threat-oklahoma-christian-university-oklahoma-city-police-department-okcpd-ocpd-emsa-okcfd-fire-department-lockdown-shooter-gun-crime-threat-okc-january-12-2023) after receiving a phone-in threat of a mass shooting. The lockdown lasted 68 minutes -- from 4:11 p.m. CST to 5:19 p.m. CST -- before OKCPD [confirmed the threat originated from out of state](https://www.news9.com/story/63c0912fb7d919070c53bfde/authorities-investigating-threat-toward-oklahoma-christian-university-campus-on-lockdown) and there was no credible danger on campus."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2023-01-12T16:11:00-06:00",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "Lock down immediately",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://okcfox.com/news/local/ocu-placed-on-lockdown-after-receiving-mass-shooting-threat-oklahoma-christian-university-oklahoma-city-police-department-okcpd-ocpd-emsa-okcfd-fire-department-lockdown-shooter-gun-crime-threat-okc-january-12-2023",
      "sourceDescription": "Oklahoma Fox 25 reporting; campus police quoted message text",
      "annotations": [
        "Sent at 4:11 p.m. CST on January 12, 2023; OKCPD received the threat call and OC campus police sent this terse lockdown order to students and staff with no additional context",
        "Students sheltered in place immediately -- one recalled the band room filling with people on the floor, lights off, in silence",
        "Campus police said they 'didn't give us much information' when issuing the alert"
      ],
      "characterCount": 21
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestamp": "2023-01-12T17:19:00-06:00",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from News 9 reporting that the all-clear was given at 5:19 p.m. CST on January 12, 2023 after OKCPD confirmed the call came from out of state",
      "annotations": []
    }
  ],
  "context": "Oklahoma Christian University, a private faith-based liberal arts institution in Edmond, Oklahoma with approximately 2,100 students, received a phone-in threat of a mass shooting on January 12, 2023. Campus police sent a terse 'Lock down immediately' text to the campus community at 4:11 p.m. CST, with little additional information, before [students sheltered in place for 68 minutes](https://okcfox.com/news/local/ocu-placed-on-lockdown-after-receiving-mass-shooting-threat-oklahoma-christian-university-oklahoma-city-police-department-okcpd-ocpd-emsa-okcfd-fire-department-lockdown-shooter-gun-crime-threat-okc-january-12-2023). Students described the experience as 'very scary,' with some taking cover in band rooms with lights off and no talking. Multiple OKC-area law enforcement agencies responded, including OKCPD, OCPD, EMSA, and OKCFD. By 5:19 p.m. CST, [OKCPD confirmed the threatening call came from out of state](https://www.news9.com/story/63c0912fb7d919070c53bfde/police-give-all-clear-after-threat-made-towards-oklahoma-christian-university), and the campus was declared safe. A suspect was arrested seven days later in Missoula, Montana, and the [OC campus newspaper later reported](http://www.talon.news/news/shooting-threat-suspect-in-police-custody/) that the caller had also threatened other locations. The incident is one of hundreds of swatting calls targeting U.S. college campuses that year -- the Educator's School Safety Network documented 731 such calls in 2023.",
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "OC placed on lockdown after receiving mass shooting threat -- Fox 25 Oklahoma City",
      "url": "https://okcfox.com/news/local/ocu-placed-on-lockdown-after-receiving-mass-shooting-threat-oklahoma-christian-university-oklahoma-city-police-department-okcpd-ocpd-emsa-okcfd-fire-department-lockdown-shooter-gun-crime-threat-okc-january-12-2023",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Police Give 'All Clear' After Threat Made Towards Oklahoma Christian University -- News 9",
      "url": "https://www.news9.com/story/63c0912fb7d919070c53bfde/police-give-all-clear-after-threat-made-towards-oklahoma-christian-university",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "OC Shooting Threat Suspect in Police Custody -- Talon News (OC student newspaper)",
      "url": "http://www.talon.news/news/shooting-threat-suspect-in-police-custody/",
      "type": "student-newspaper"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "swatting",
    "lockdown",
    "oklahoma",
    "private-christian",
    "hoax",
    "phone-threat",
    "out-of-state-caller",
    "liberal-arts"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-31",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-16",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}