{
  "id": "2024-08-27-university-of-toledo-false-alarm",
  "slug": "university-of-toledo-false-alarm-2024-08-27",
  "institution": {
    "name": "University of Toledo",
    "shortName": "UToledo",
    "state": "OH",
    "type": "public-r2",
    "alertSystemName": "UToledo Alert",
    "enrollment": 15000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2024-08-27",
    "type": "swatting",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-hoax",
    "headline": "False report of an active aggressor prompts an alert; cleared within about 13 minutes",
    "headlinePublic": "False report of an active aggressor prompts an alert; cleared within about 13 minutes",
    "summary": "On August 27, 2024, the University of Toledo Police Department received a [false report of an active aggressor at the Health Science Campus](https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/utoledo-police-alert-of-aggressor-on-campus-false-alarm-university-of-toledo-alert-run-fight-hide/512-1be703eb-c69a-4b09-b2f4-c0c393ba7ca4), triggering a 'RUN, HIDE, FIGHT' alert. Officers responded to Lot 42 just after 2:15 PM EDT and [determined the report was false by 2:28 PM EDT](https://www.13abc.com/2024/08/27/police-investigating-active-aggressor-report-utoledo-campus/), with the all-clear issued one minute later.",
    "outcome": "The incident was determined to be a false report within approximately 13 minutes of the initial response. No injuries were reported, and normal campus activities resumed immediately after the all-clear was issued at 2:29 PM EDT."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2024-08-27T14:21:00-04:00",
      "channel": "push-notification",
      "verbatimText": "Police are responding to an active aggressor report on the Health Science Campus Lot 41. Stay away. Take protective actions. RUN, HIDE, FIGHT.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/utoledo-police-alert-of-aggressor-on-campus-false-alarm-university-of-toledo-alert-run-fight-hide/512-1be703eb-c69a-4b09-b2f4-c0c393ba7ca4",
      "sourceDescription": "WTOL News (quoting UToledo Police social media post)",
      "annotations": [
        "Verbatim text from UToledo Police social media post quoted by WTOL; posted six minutes after officers initially responded to Lot 42 at 2:15 PM EDT on August 27, 2024",
        "Used the standard RUN, HIDE, FIGHT protocol language adopted by most universities",
        "The lot reference shifted from Lot 42 (where officers initially responded) to Lot 41 in the alert"
      ],
      "characterCount": 142
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestamp": "2024-08-27T14:29:00-04:00",
      "channel": "push-notification",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "WTOL and 13abc reporting",
      "annotations": []
    }
  ],
  "context": "On the afternoon of August 27, 2024, the University of Toledo Police Department received a report of an [active aggressor at the Health Science Campus](https://www.13abc.com/2024/08/27/police-investigating-active-aggressor-report-utoledo-campus/). Officers responded to Lot 42 just after 2:15 PM EDT, and six minutes later the university posted an alert directing people to stay away and take protective actions using the [RUN, HIDE, FIGHT protocol](https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/utoledo-police-alert-of-aggressor-on-campus-false-alarm-university-of-toledo-alert-run-fight-hide/512-1be703eb-c69a-4b09-b2f4-c0c393ba7ca4). At 2:28 PM EDT, officers on scene determined the report was false, and the university announced the all-clear one minute later at 2:29 PM EDT. The entire incident lasted approximately 13 minutes from first response to resolution. The false report came during a period when universities nationwide were experiencing a surge in swatting calls and [false active shooter reports](https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/utoledo-safety-director-students-discuss-active-shooter-protocol/512-67809ff5-aa52-4ccc-b5eb-5ef950ad63a6).",
  "keyFindings": [
    "The false report was resolved in approximately 13 minutes, demonstrating rapid verification by responding officers",
    "The incident triggered a RUN, HIDE, FIGHT alert on the Health Science Campus before the report was debunked",
    "The false alarm occurred during a nationwide surge of swatting incidents targeting universities"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "UToledo police: Alert of aggressor on campus was false alarm (WTOL)",
      "url": "https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/utoledo-police-alert-of-aggressor-on-campus-false-alarm-university-of-toledo-alert-run-fight-hide/512-1be703eb-c69a-4b09-b2f4-c0c393ba7ca4",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "All clear given at UToledo after active aggressor report (13abc)",
      "url": "https://www.13abc.com/2024/08/27/police-investigating-active-aggressor-report-utoledo-campus/",
      "type": "local-media"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "false-alarm",
    "swatting",
    "active-aggressor",
    "health-science-campus",
    "ohio",
    "rapid-resolution",
    "run-hide-fight"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-03",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-05-03",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}