{
  "id": "2025-08-27-texas-tech-university-swatting",
  "slug": "texas-tech-university-swatting-2025-08-27",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Texas Tech University",
    "shortName": "Texas Tech",
    "state": "TX",
    "type": "public-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "TechAlert",
    "enrollment": 40000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-08-27",
    "type": "swatting",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-hoax",
    "headline": "Active-shooter report near the architecture building deemed a hoax",
    "headlinePublic": "Active-shooter report near the architecture building deemed a hoax",
    "summary": "On August 27, 2025, just after 5:30 PM CDT, [Texas Tech University received a report of an active shooter near the Architecture Building](https://www.kcbd.com/2025/08/27/false-alarm-ttu-reports-active-shooter-report-part-nationwide-hoax/) on the southern part of campus, near 18th Street and Flint Avenue. Texas Tech Police immediately responded and [quickly determined the report was a false alarm](https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/texas-tech-active-shooter-report-deemed-a-false-alarm-hoax/) consistent with the nationwide wave of swatting incidents targeting universities.",
    "outcome": "No shooter or threat was found. The incident was confirmed as part of the nationwide university swatting campaign. The FBI issued safety tips in the aftermath."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestampApprox": "Evening of August 27, 2025 CDT, shortly after the initial response",
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "A short time ago, Texas Tech University received a report of an active shooter on campus near the Architecture Building. Texas Tech Police immediately responded, and law enforcement thoroughly investigated the situation. It was quickly determined that the report was a false alarm consistent with a series of “swatting” incidents that have targeted universities and schools across the country.\nOfficers remain at the scene, and there is not believed to be a threat to campus.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/TexasTech/status/1960835350730768793",
      "sourceDescription": "@TexasTech on X (verbatim raw t.co)",
      "annotations": [
        "Posted by the official Texas Tech University X account; the message both acknowledged the active-shooter report and announced the false-alarm determination in a single follow-up communication",
        "The FBI's Lubbock office issued safety tips following the incident"
      ],
      "characterCount": 475
    }
  ],
  "context": "On the evening of August 27, 2025, [Texas Tech University received a report of an active shooter](https://www.kcbd.com/2025/08/27/false-alarm-ttu-reports-active-shooter-report-part-nationwide-hoax/) near the Architecture Building on the southern part of campus, near 18th Street and Flint Avenue. Texas Tech Police immediately responded with a heavy law enforcement presence. The report was [quickly determined to be a false alarm](https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/texas-tech-active-shooter-report-deemed-a-false-alarm-hoax/), and the university confirmed it was consistent with a series of 'swatting incidents' targeting universities and schools across the country. Similar calls had been reported at [Villanova, the University of New Hampshire, University of Arkansas, Iowa State, Northern Arizona, CU Boulder, and Kansas State](https://www.newschannel10.com/2025/08/27/false-alarm-ttu-says-active-shooter-report-part-nationwide-hoax/) in the preceding days. The [FBI warned that these hoaxes](https://kfyo.com/?p=339660) not only disrupt learning but drain law enforcement resources and put lives at risk. Texas Tech was one of several universities hit in the second week of the August 2025 swatting wave, as the Purgatory group expanded its targeting beyond the initial August 21-25 cluster.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Texas Tech was targeted on August 27, two days after the main cluster of Purgatory-linked incidents on August 25, suggesting the campaign was expanding",
    "The FBI's Lubbock field office issued public safety tips specifically in response to the Texas Tech incident",
    "The Architecture Building target is a departure from the Purgatory pattern of targeting campus libraries, though still a large campus building"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "FALSE ALARM: Texas Tech active shooter report part of nationwide hoax (KCBD)",
      "url": "https://www.kcbd.com/2025/08/27/false-alarm-ttu-reports-active-shooter-report-part-nationwide-hoax/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Texas Tech active shooter report deemed a false alarm hoax (EverythingLubbock)",
      "url": "https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/texas-tech-active-shooter-report-deemed-a-false-alarm-hoax/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "FALSE ALARM: Texas Tech active shooter report part of nationwide hoax (NewsChannel 10)",
      "url": "https://www.newschannel10.com/2025/08/27/false-alarm-ttu-says-active-shooter-report-part-nationwide-hoax/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "FBI Shares Safety Tips After Texas Tech Swatting Scare (KFYO)",
      "url": "https://kfyo.com/?p=339660",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://x.com/TexasTech/status/1960835350730768793",
      "title": "@TexasTech on X",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "dateAccessed": "2026-07-18"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "swatting",
    "active-shooter-hoax",
    "purgatory",
    "architecture-building",
    "texas",
    "fbi-warning",
    "public-university"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-18",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}