{
  "id": "2025-08-25-university-of-new-hampshire-swatting",
  "slug": "university-of-new-hampshire-swatting-2025-08-25",
  "institution": {
    "name": "University of New Hampshire",
    "shortName": "UNH",
    "state": "NH",
    "type": "public-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "UNH Alert",
    "enrollment": 15000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-08-25",
    "type": "swatting",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-hoax",
    "headline": "Hoax shooter report at the library; police confirmed no threat within minutes",
    "headlinePublic": "Hoax shooter report at the library; police confirmed no threat within minutes",
    "summary": "On August 25, 2025, the Strafford County Sheriff's Office received a call just before 6:30 PM EDT reporting an active shooter at [Dimond Library](https://www.tnhdigital.com/article/2025/09/unh-police-respond-to-hoax-shooter-report-at-dimond-library-amid-national-trend) on the UNH Durham campus. UNH and Durham police responded in less than two minutes and quickly confirmed there was no threat. Because information was already circulating on social media, UNH sent an [emergency alert immediately](https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/unh-colleges-across-the-country-deal-with-shooting-hoaxes-as-classes-resume/3797124/) informing the community the report was a hoax.",
    "outcome": "Police confirmed no threat within minutes. An emergency alert was sent proactively because social media had already spread the information. UNH Police coordinated with state and federal authorities."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Shortly after 6:30 PM EDT on August 25, 2025",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "At approximately 6:30 p.m., the UNH Police Department responded to a report of shots fired in the library on campus. Officers arrived immediately and conducted a thorough search. It was determined there were NO shots fired, and there is no danger to the community. The call was confirmed to be a hoax.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.facebook.com/UNHPolice/posts/at-approximately-630-pm-the-unh-police-department-responded-to-a-report-of-shots/1210409527794388/",
      "sourceDescription": "UNH Police Department official Facebook post (verbatim)",
      "annotations": [
        "Verbatim text from the UNH Police Department's official Facebook post on August 25, 2025 at approximately 6:30 PM EDT",
        "UNH chose to send an alert immediately because information was already circulating on social media, unlike some other campuses that opted not to alert",
        "UNH and Durham police arrived on scene in less than two minutes after the initial call to the Strafford County Sheriff's Office"
      ],
      "characterCount": 301
    }
  ],
  "context": "Just before 6:30 PM EDT on August 25, 2025, the Strafford County Sheriff's Office received a call reporting an active shooter at [Dimond Library](https://www.tnhdigital.com/article/2025/09/unh-police-respond-to-hoax-shooter-report-at-dimond-library-amid-national-trend) on the University of New Hampshire's Durham campus. UNH and Durham police responded in less than two minutes and quickly confirmed there was no threat. Because information about the calls was already spreading on social media, the university sent an emergency alert immediately, letting the community know the report was a hoax. This proactive approach contrasted with several other universities that week, including Iowa State and the [University of Kentucky](https://www.wkyt.com/2025/08/26/active-shooter-hoax-uk-comes-amid-national-surge/), which chose not to issue alerts after rapidly resolving similar swatting calls. UNH Police worked with state and federal authorities in the investigation. The incident was part of the same August 25 wave that also hit the [University of Arkansas, Iowa State, Kansas State, and the University of Colorado Boulder](https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/unh-colleges-across-the-country-deal-with-shooting-hoaxes-as-classes-resume/3797124/). The Center for Internet Security later [tied these calls to the Purgatory group](https://www.foxnews.com/us/fbi-investigates-college-swatting-hoaxes-terrorizing-campuses-across-us), which was 'very likely' responsible for false active shooter reports at multiple universities.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "UNH and Durham police responded in under two minutes and confirmed no threat",
    "UNH chose to send an emergency alert proactively because social media was already spreading information about the calls",
    "The August 25 wave hit multiple campuses the same day, including UNH, Arkansas, Iowa State, Kansas State, and CU Boulder"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "UNH police respond to hoax shooter report at Dimond Library amid national trend (The New Hampshire)",
      "url": "https://www.tnhdigital.com/article/2025/09/unh-police-respond-to-hoax-shooter-report-at-dimond-library-amid-national-trend",
      "type": "student-newspaper"
    },
    {
      "title": "UNH, colleges across the country deal with shooting hoaxes as classes resume (NBC Boston)",
      "url": "https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/unh-colleges-across-the-country-deal-with-shooting-hoaxes-as-classes-resume/3797124/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "FBI investigates college swatting hoaxes terrorizing campuses across US (Fox News)",
      "url": "https://www.foxnews.com/us/fbi-investigates-college-swatting-hoaxes-terrorizing-campuses-across-us",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Active Shooter Hoaxes Set Off Alarms on College Campuses (TIME)",
      "url": "https://time.com/7312487/active-shooter-false-reports-school-swatting/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "UNH Police Department official Facebook post (verbatim)",
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/UNHPolice/posts/at-approximately-630-pm-the-unh-police-department-responded-to-a-report-of-shots/1210409527794388/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "swatting",
    "purgatory-wave",
    "active-shooter-hoax",
    "new-hampshire",
    "dimond-library",
    "social-media-spread",
    "proactive-alert"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-02",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-05-29",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}