Juvenile Charged with Swatting Call at Villanova University, Other Institutions in Pennsylvania
Federal prosecutors say the juvenile helped trigger false active-shooter responses at more than a dozen campuses, prompting police and emergency crews to respond.
- On Thursday, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that a juvenile faces charges for a series of "swatting" calls targeting Villanova University and other institutions nationwide in August 2025.
- The incident began on August 21, 2025, when Delaware County Department of Emergency Services received a hoax call claiming an armed man was firing shots at 800 Lancaster Avenue, triggering an immediate lockdown and massive law enforcement response.
- Investigators identified the suspect as a member of the online cybercrime group "Purgatory," which targeted schools at random; the juvenile had no affiliation with any affected institutions.
- More than a dozen universities across the country reported similar false threats in late August. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro called the reports "unfounded and the product of a cruel swatting incident."
- Authorities withheld the suspect's name due to their minor status, while the investigation involved the FBI and Pennsylvania State Police along with numerous local agencies nationwide.
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UPDATE: Minor faces federal charges for active shooter hoax at UTC in August 2025
The FBI identified a juvenile linked to the cybercriminal group Purgatory as responsible for an active shooter hoax at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on August 21, 2025, prompting federal charges connected to multiple swatting incidents targeting universities nationwide.
Teen charged with making hoax mass shooting calls at colleges across US — including Villanova’s orientation
A youth has been hit with charges that they were behind a series of bogus emergency calls that disrupted Pennsylvania universities and institutions in August 2025.
Juvenile charged federally with ‘swatting’ calls, including ‘Nova hoax last year
The suspect's identity is not being revealed under strict federal rules of prosecuting juveniles, but U.S. Attorney David Metcalf indicated they were associated with a cybercriminal group that had taken responsibility for a bogus call of an active shooter at Villanova last August.
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