Fair 69°
Tag:

Swatting

Schools
Swatting Group ‘Purgatory’ Linked To 10+ Hoax Active Shooter Calls As FBI Charges Suspect Swatting Group ‘Purgatory’ Linked To 10+ Hoax Active Shooter Calls As FBI Charges Suspect
Swatting Group ‘Purgatory’ Linked To 10+ Hoax Active Shooter Calls As FBI Charges Suspect A swatting group calling itself Purgatory is believed to be behind more than 10 hoax active shooter reports that triggered lockdowns at universities nationwide — and now, federal prosecutors have filed charges against a suspect tied to the spree, officials announced Thursday, April 30. Villanova At The Center The wave of hoaxes began on Aug. 21 at Villanova University, where families and new students attending orientation Mass were sent scrambling after an alert warned of an “ACTIVE SHOOTER” on campus. Students and parents barricaded doors and hid as heavily armed officers flooded the Main L…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Second Hoax At Villanova University Sparks Police Response Ahead Of Classes Second Hoax At Villanova University Sparks Police Response Ahead Of Classes
Second Hoax At Villanova University Sparks Police Response Ahead Of Classes Villanova University faced a second false emergency report involving a weapon on campus Sunday, Aug. 24, one day before classes were scheduled to begin, Radnor Township Police confirmed. Officers were called to Austin Hall after a report of a possible threat, but police later confirmed the call was unfounded. Law enforcement searched the building, cleared the scene, and worked to restore normal operations. The investigation into the hoax is ongoing. The incident comes just three days after a fake active shooter report at Villanova’s law school sent the campus into chaos during orientation a…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
News
Teen Admits To Making Bomb, Shooting Hoax Calls Across US: DOJ Teen Admits To Making Bomb, Shooting Hoax Calls Across US: DOJ
Teen Admits To Making Bomb, Shooting Hoax Calls Across US: DOJ A 19-year-old from Maryland who helped run an online “Purgatory” group behind a wave of terrifying swatting calls—targeting schools, airports, casinos, and homes—has pleaded guilty in federal court, authorities announced. Owen Jarboe, of Hagerstown, admitted to conspiracy, cyberstalking, and making interstate threats involving fire and explosives between December 2023 and Jan. 18, 2024, according to the US Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said that Jarboe and his co-conspirators used Telegram, Instagram, and shared spoofing scripts to mask their identities while triggering police responses to…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Politics
Bomb Threats, Swatting Incidents Target Trump Cabinet Picks, Appointees, Spokesperson Says Bomb Threats, Swatting Incidents Target Trump Cabinet Picks, Appointees, Spokesperson Says
Bomb Threats, Swatting Incidents Target Trump Cabinet Picks, Appointees, Spokesperson Says Several of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet selections and administrative appointees were the targets threats the last two days, a spokesperson said, calling the acts "violent" and "un-American." According to a statement by the Trump-Vance Transition Team on Wednesday, Nov. 27, several individuals associated with the incoming administration were subjected to threats ranging from bomb scares to "swatting" incidents, in which false reports are made to dispatch emergency responders to someone's location. Law enforcement responded swiftly to ensure the safety of those targeted, the team s…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Synagogues Victim Of Hoax Bomb Threats In Mass: Police Synagogues Victim Of Hoax Bomb Threats In Mass: Police
Synagogues Victim Of Hoax Bomb Threats In Mass: Police Multiple places of worship were the victims of hoax bomb threats over the weekend, causing police to evacuate homes and close roads until they could investigate the scenes.  An employee at Congregation Sha’aray Shalom at 1112 Main St. in Hingham received an email shortly before 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19 that said that bombs were inside the synagogue, according to police. The employee left and called 911. Several homes nearby were evacuated, and Main Street (Route 228) was closed in both directions, police said. Explosive detection dogs from Quincy police and Massachusetts State Police …

SHARE

by Khier Casino
Police & Fire
West Springfield High Off Lockdown After Hoax Threat Made Against School: Police West Springfield High Off Lockdown After Hoax Threat Made Against School: Police
West Springfield High Off Lockdown After Hoax Threat Made Against School: Police West Springfield High was momentarily put on lockdown Friday, March 3, after someone called in a fake threat about the Hampden County school, officials said. The hoax is the last in a worrying and growing trend called "swatting." West Springfield police said someone called the department's non-emergency line just after 8:20 a.m. to make the threat. Officers responded to the high school within a minute and worked with administrators to begin safety protocols, which included a lockdown.  Police swept the school for threats but found nothing, and they determined the call was fake. School …

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Schools
'Swatting' Hoax Threats Send Multiple Massachusetts School Into Lockdowns 'Swatting' Hoax Threats Send Multiple Massachusetts School Into Lockdowns
'Swatting' Hoax Threats Send Multiple Massachusetts School Into Lockdowns Multiple Massachusetts schools have been forced into lockdowns because of fake gun and bomb threats, otherwise known as "swatting" incidents, over the past four days.  "Swatting" is defined as "the action or practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address," according to Oxford Language.  These incidents have seen an uptick across the Commonwealth in the wake of the deadly shooting at the Michigan State University on Monday, Feb. 13 in which three students perished. T…

SHARE

by David Cifarelli
Police & Fire
Western Mass Mall Victim Of 'Swatting' Bomb Threat By Email Western Mass Mall Victim Of 'Swatting' Bomb Threat By Email
Western Mass Mall Victim Of 'Swatting' Bomb Threat By Email A Western Massachusetts mall was the victim of a "swatting" event when its opening was delayed after receiving a bomb threat by email. The incident took place around 8:50 a.m., Thursday, July 1, when the Holyoke Police Department was contacted by the Holyoke Mall security manager regarding an email that contained a bomb threat against the mall, said Capt. Matthew Moriarty.  Holyoke officers responded along with detectives. The decision to delay the mall’s opening was made to properly assess the email, Moriarty said. State Police were called to assist with the investigation.  The…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes