Villanova University

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

A swatting group calling itself Purgatory is believed to be behind more than 10 hoax active shooter reports that triggered lockdowns and armed police responses on campuses nationwide between Aug. 21 and Aug. 25, investigators and watchdog groups say.

Villanova At The Center

The spree began on Aug. 21 at Villanova University, where families and new students were gathered for orientation Mass. An alert warned of an “ACTIVE SHOOTER” on campus, sending parents and students scrambling to hide in classrooms and barricade doors as heavily armed officers swarmed the Main Line campus. Police later confirmed the call was a hoax.

Just three days later, on Aug. 24, another false report involving a weapon at Villanova’s Austin Hall prompted a second police search, one day before classes began.

Other Universities Targeted

Similar false alerts hit other campuses across the country. On Aug. 24, the University of South Carolina issued a shelter-in-place order at Thomas Cooper Library after a report of an armed individual. An all-clear was later given with no shooter found, as Daily Voice previously reported.

The following day, Aug. 25, the University of Arkansas ordered students to “Avoid. Deny. Defend.” after a caller claimed there was an active shooter at Mullins Library. Police cleared the scene without finding any threat, as Daily Voice reported.

In total, analysts say more than 10 campuses were targeted in the same five-day period.

Intelligence Reports And Online Boasting

A joint assessment from the Center for Internet Security and Institute for Strategic Dialogue found that Purgatory “very likely” coordinated the calls, which caused “lockdowns, panic and significant disruptions to campus operations."

The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) reported that Purgatory members livestreamed some of their swatting calls and even advertised “swatting-as-a-service,” charging as little as $20 per school call. After widespread media coverage, the price jumped to $95.

A man calling himself “Gores,” who claims to lead the group, admitted to WIRED that he was behind the Villanova call and others. He bragged that Purgatory had made $100,000 from hoaxes and promised the spree would continue “for two months,” telling the outlet: “Shit don’t put fear into me. Just another day in our life yk?” 

The Strauss Connection

The surge in swatting comes just weeks after the group’s former leader, Evan Strauss, pleaded guilty to federal swatting charges in Maryland. Known online as “Reaper,” Strauss admitted to orchestrating hoaxes involving fake school shootings, airport bomb threats, and threats against a trailer park. He faces sentencing in November.

Strauss, 27, of Moneta, Virginia, was separately sentenced earlier this month to 15 years in federal prison for stalking and coercing a 17-year-old Wyoming girl he met online. Federal prosecutors said Strauss forced the girl to carve his nickname into her leg and threatened her family with swatting and violence, read Daily Voice's full report here.

Ongoing Investigations

Authorities warn that swatting is not a prank but a serious crime that drains police resources, terrifies communities, and can have deadly consequences. Federal, state, and local agencies continue to investigate the Villanova hoaxes and the wider spree of university swatting calls nationwide.