VILLANOVA, PA. – Federal authorities say a juvenile is now facing charges in connection with a wave of false emergency reports that disrupted college campuses across the country last summer, including an incident that sparked alarm at Villanova University.
What we know:
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the case centers on a series of so-called “swatting” incidents reported in August 2025. These calls falsely claimed imminent violent threats, prompting large-scale responses from police and emergency personnel.
Reported active shooter at Villanova a ‘cruel hoax’
The backstory:
One of the most high-profile incidents occurred on August 21, when a report of an active shooter triggered a heavy law enforcement presence at Villanova just as students were arriving for the fall semester, according to previous FOX 29 reporting.
Pennsylvania State Police, Radnor Township Police and federal law enforcement all responded to the scene.
The university asked the public to avoid the law school and move to a secure location and barricade doors when it believed the threat to be real.
Video posted to social media showed frantic students running.
Investigators later determined there was no real danger, but not before widespread fear and confusion spread across campus.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro called the reports of a shooter “unfounded and the product of a cruel swatting incident – when someone calls in a fake threat to induce panic,” in an August post on X. “I’m profoundly grateful no one was hurt, and thankful to all members of law enforcement who ran towards reports of danger to keep Pennsylvanians safe.”
A similar false report followed days later.
Dig deeper:
Officials said in a statement that the juvenile suspect is believed to have played a role in multiple hoax calls targeting schools and other institutions, though authorities have not detailed exactly which incidents are tied to the case.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said the suspect identified as a member of an online cybercrime group known as “Purgatory.”
Investigators allege the targets were chosen at random, with no personal connection to the institutions affected.
The investigation involved the FBI along with numerous local and state agencies, including police departments in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania State Police and other jurisdictions nationwide, a press release stated.
What we don’t know:
Because the defendant is a minor, officials are not releasing their name or specific charges. Under federal law governing juvenile cases, details about the proceedings are restricted.
The Source: Information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and previous FOX 29 reporting.
