{
  "id": "2025-08-30-university-of-south-florida-swatting",
  "slug": "university-of-south-florida-swatting-2025-08-30",
  "institution": {
    "name": "University of South Florida",
    "shortName": "USF",
    "state": "FL",
    "type": "public-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "AlertUSF",
    "enrollment": 50000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-08-30",
    "type": "swatting",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-hoax",
    "headline": "Swatting call reporting an armed person evacuates the library; no threat found",
    "headlinePublic": "Swatting call reporting an armed person evacuates the library; no threat found",
    "summary": "On August 30, 2025, a swatting call to Tampa Police at approximately 4:45 PM EDT falsely reported an armed person inside the [USF Tampa Library](https://www.wusf.org/university-beat/2025-08-30/usf-library-evacuated-because-of-apparent-swatting-call-of-a-person-with-a-gun), prompting a library evacuation and heavy police response. The [AlertUSF notification](https://www.usforacle.com/2025/09/15/opinion-when-rumors-spread-faster-than-alertusf-students-lose-trust/) was not sent until approximately 6:20 PM EDT, approximately 90 minutes after the initial 911 call, sparking criticism from students and the campus newspaper.",
    "outcome": "The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office determined the incident was the result of a swatting call. No armed individual was found. The university defended the alert delay, stating officers quickly determined there was no active threat."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestampApprox": "Shortly after 6:20 PM EDT on August 30, 2025",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "ALERTUSF: Tampa: There was a report of an individual on Tampa campus with a firearm. Police have investigated and there is no threat to campus.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.wusf.org/university-beat/2025-08-30/usf-library-evacuated-because-of-apparent-swatting-call-of-a-person-with-a-gun",
      "sourceDescription": "WUSF University Beat (verbatim ALERTUSF text quoted in coverage)",
      "annotations": [
        "Verbatim ALERTUSF push notification text quoted by WUSF University Beat reporting on the August 30, 2025 swatting incident",
        "This was the only AlertUSF notification sent during the entire incident, arriving approximately 90 minutes after the initial 911 call at 4:45 PM EDT",
        "The message was effectively an all-clear rather than an initial warning, as the threat had already been assessed and dismissed by the time it was sent",
        "USF stated they may not immediately issue a notification if doing so would compromise response efforts"
      ],
      "characterCount": 143
    }
  ],
  "context": "On a Saturday afternoon, August 30, 2025, a call came into the Tampa Police Department's 911 center at approximately 4:45 PM EDT reporting a possible armed person inside the [USF Tampa Library](https://www.wusf.org/university-beat/2025-08-30/usf-library-evacuated-because-of-apparent-swatting-call-of-a-person-with-a-gun). The caller also claimed to have heard shots fired, and social-media posts falsely reported a gunman had barricaded inside the library. The library was evacuated and a heavy law enforcement presence descended on the Tampa campus; [USFPD officers reportedly arrived within two minutes](https://www.fox13news.com/news/no-active-shooter-found-usf-after-call-reporting-gunman-main-campus) of the call. However, the [AlertUSF system was not activated until approximately 6:20 PM EDT](https://www.usforacle.com/2025/08/31/usf-active-shooter-hoax/), approximately 90 minutes after the initial call, and the single message sent was effectively an all-clear rather than an initial warning. The [USF Oracle student newspaper sharply criticized](https://www.usforacle.com/2025/09/15/opinion-when-rumors-spread-faster-than-alertusf-students-lose-trust/) the delay, noting that rumors spread faster than the official alert system, eroding student trust. The university defended its approach, stating that 'the university may not immediately issue a notification for a variety of reasons, including if doing so would compromise efforts to respond to or otherwise mitigate the emergency.' The [Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office](https://iontb.com/swatting-call-leads-to-heavy-police-presence-at-usf-saturday-afternoon/) confirmed the incident was the result of a swatting call. The incident was part of a broader wave of university swatting attacks in late August 2025 attributed to the extremist group Purgatory.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "AlertUSF was not activated for approximately 90 minutes after the initial 911 call, with the only notification functioning as an all-clear",
    "The delay prompted sharp criticism from the USF Oracle, which noted rumors spread faster than official alerts",
    "USF defended the delay by citing the need to avoid compromising emergency response efforts"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "USF Library evacuated because of apparent swatting call (WUSF)",
      "url": "https://www.wusf.org/university-beat/2025-08-30/usf-library-evacuated-because-of-apparent-swatting-call-of-a-person-with-a-gun",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "USF police says Library's active shooter threat appears to be hoax (USF Oracle)",
      "url": "https://www.usforacle.com/2025/08/31/usf-active-shooter-hoax/",
      "type": "student-newspaper"
    },
    {
      "title": "When rumors spread faster than AlertUSF, students lose trust (USF Oracle)",
      "url": "https://www.usforacle.com/2025/09/15/opinion-when-rumors-spread-faster-than-alertusf-students-lose-trust/",
      "type": "student-newspaper"
    },
    {
      "title": "Swatting Call Leads to Heavy Police Presence at USF (IONTB)",
      "url": "https://iontb.com/swatting-call-leads-to-heavy-police-presence-at-usf-saturday-afternoon/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "No active shooter found at USF after call reporting gunman on main campus (FOX 13 Tampa Bay)",
      "url": "https://www.fox13news.com/news/no-active-shooter-found-usf-after-call-reporting-gunman-main-campus",
      "type": "local-media"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "swatting",
    "active-shooter-hoax",
    "alert-delay",
    "library",
    "florida",
    "purgatory",
    "alertusf",
    "public-university"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-05-28",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}