{ "id": "2025-08-21-ut-chattanooga-swatting", "slug": "ut-chattanooga-swatting-2025-08-21", "institution": { "name": "University of Tennessee at Chattanooga", "shortName": "UTC", "state": "TN", "type": "public-masters", "alertSystemName": "UTC-Alert", "enrollment": 11500 }, "incident": { "date": "2025-08-21", "type": "swatting", "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification", "resolution": "confirmed-hoax", "headline": "False active-shooter report locked down campus during the first week of classes", "headlinePublic": "False active-shooter report locked down campus during the first week of classes", "summary": "On August 21, 2025, a [911 call at approximately 12:29 PM EDT](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2025/aug/21/utc-sends-out-message-warning-of-potential-active/) falsely reported an active shooter in the library at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga during the first week of the fall semester. More than 100 law enforcement officers responded, and campus was locked down for over an hour before the [all-clear was issued at 1:51 PM EDT](https://www.wsmv.com/2025/08/21/university-tennessee-chattanoogas-campus-cleared-lockdown-lifted-after-no-threat-found/).", "outcome": "Law enforcement found no evidence of a threat after a thorough sweep of campus. The hoax was linked to the extremist swatting group Purgatory. Classes were cancelled for the remainder of the day. The FBI opened an investigation." }, "alerts": [ { "sequence": 1, "type": "initial", "timestamp": "2025-08-21T12:42:00-04:00", "channel": "sms", "verbatimText": "UTC ALERT: Possible active shooter in the University Center or Library. Run. Hide. Fight. More info forthcoming.", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/UTChattanooga/status/1958575614807384493", "sourceDescription": "University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (@UTChattanooga) posting the UTC ALERT verbatim on X", "annotations": [ "Sent at approximately 12:42 PM EDT on August 21, 2025, roughly 13 minutes after Hamilton County 911 received the swatting call at 12:29 PM EDT, the dispatcher reportedly heard what sounded like gunshots in the background of the call", "Names two specific buildings (the University Center and the Library) reflecting the caller's claim of being in the library when they saw the suspect", "Uses the standard Run-Hide-Fight national-best-practices language for active shooter notifications", "All available university police officers were summoned, with over 100 officers ultimately responding to the scene" ], "characterCount": 112 }, { "sequence": 2, "type": "update", "timestamp": "2025-08-21T13:16:16-04:00", "channel": "twitter-x", "verbatimText": "UTC ALERT: All individuals on the UTC campus should remain on lockdown. Do not move unless directed by law enforcement. Campus facilities are currently being searched by police.", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "sourceDescription": "@UTChattanooga on X (verbatim remain on lockdown)", "annotations": [ "Exact @UTChattanooga status" ], "characterCount": 177, "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/UTChattanooga/status/1958578914667741454" }, { "sequence": 3, "type": "all-clear", "timestamp": "2025-08-21T13:53:26-04:00", "channel": "twitter-x", "verbatimText": "UTC-ALERT: The UTC campus is ALL CLEAR. The lockdown has been lifted. Law enforcement found no evidence of a threat. All classes & activities are cancelled until 8/22 at 8:00 AM. All students and non-essential employees may leave campus for the day.", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/UTChattanooga/status/1958588269484183708", "sourceDescription": "@UTChattanooga on X (verbatim raw t.co)", "annotations": [ "Exact @UTChattanooga status" ], "characterCount": 249 } ], "context": "On August 21, 2025, during the first week of the fall semester, a [911 call at approximately 12:29 PM EDT](https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2025/aug/21/utc-sends-out-message-warning-of-potential-active/) falsely reported an active shooter in the library at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The university immediately went into lockdown, with students evacuated from classrooms and buildings as law enforcement swept the campus. In total, [more than 100 officers from multiple agencies](https://newschannel9.com/news/local/intelligence-report-ties-swatting-group-to-hoax-threat-at-ut-chattanooga-others-in-us) responded to the scene. The all-clear was given at [1:51 PM EDT after law enforcement found no evidence of a threat](https://www.wsmv.com/2025/08/21/university-tennessee-chattanoogas-campus-cleared-lockdown-lifted-after-no-threat-found/), and classes were cancelled for the remainder of the day. An [intelligence report later tied the incident](https://newschannel9.com/news/local/intelligence-report-ties-swatting-group-to-hoax-threat-at-ut-chattanooga-others-in-us) to members of Purgatory, an extremist swatting group that 'very likely made false emergency reports targeting at least 10 U.S. universities' between August 21 and 25. The UTC incident was one of the first in the August 2025 wave, occurring the same day as a similar hoax at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. The FBI investigated, and in [May 2026 a Pennsylvania juvenile was federally charged](https://newschannel9.com/news/local/doj-says-pennsylvania-juvenile-faces-federal-charges-tied-to-august-2025-utc-swatting-hoax) in connection with the UTC hoax and a series of swatting calls targeting universities nationwide.", "keyFindings": [ "Over 100 officers from multiple agencies responded to the hoax call, illustrating the massive resource diversion caused by swatting", "The incident occurred during the first week of the fall semester, maximizing disruption for new and returning students", "An intelligence report later linked the call to the Purgatory swatting group, which targeted at least 10 universities in a five-day span" ], "sources": [ { "title": "Probe ongoing after fake active shooter threat at UTC (Chattanooga Times Free Press)", "url": "https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2025/aug/21/utc-sends-out-message-warning-of-potential-active/", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "UT Chattanooga campus cleared, lockdown lifted (WSMV)", "url": "https://www.wsmv.com/2025/08/21/university-tennessee-chattanoogas-campus-cleared-lockdown-lifted-after-no-threat-found/", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "Intelligence report ties swatting group to hoax threat at UTC (News Channel 9)", "url": "https://newschannel9.com/news/local/intelligence-report-ties-swatting-group-to-hoax-threat-at-ut-chattanooga-others-in-us", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "FBI investigates college swatting hoaxes (Fox News)", "url": "https://www.foxnews.com/us/fbi-investigates-college-swatting-hoaxes-terrorizing-campuses-across-us", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "DOJ says Pennsylvania juvenile faces federal charges tied to August 2025 UTC swatting hoax (NewsChannel 9)", "url": "https://newschannel9.com/news/local/doj-says-pennsylvania-juvenile-faces-federal-charges-tied-to-august-2025-utc-swatting-hoax", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "@UTChattanooga X lockdown update", "url": "https://x.com/UTChattanooga/status/1958578914667741454", "type": "official-social" }, { "title": "@UTChattanooga X ALL CLEAR", "url": "https://x.com/UTChattanooga/status/1958588269484183708", "type": "official-social" }, { "title": "University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (@UTChattanooga) posting the UTC ALERT verbatim on X", "url": "https://x.com/UTChattanooga/status/1958575614807384493", "type": "official-archive" } ], "confidence": "medium", "tags": [ "swatting", "active-shooter-hoax", "purgatory", "fbi-investigation", "tennessee", "library", "first-week-of-classes", "public-university" ], "dateAdded": "2026-04-04", "lastUpdated": "2026-07-18", "addedBy": "ingestion" }