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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…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
‘All Clear’ After False Active Shooter Report At UVA's Shannon Library ‘All Clear’ After False Active Shooter Report At UVA's Shannon Library
‘All Clear’ After False Active Shooter Report At UVA's Shannon Library A false report of an active shooter sparked panic and lockdowns at the University of Virginia’s Shannon Library on Monday before police determined there was no threat on campus. University officials said they received reports of an active shooter around 3 p.m. at 160 McCormick Road on Nov. 3.  “Police are currently at Shannon Library continuing to investigate. At this time there is no evidence of an attacker,” one early alert read. Lockdowns remained in effect for more than an hour as UVA Police cleared buildings and canvassed the area.  A steady stream of updates from the unive…

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by Zak Failla
News
Ohio State Student, 19, Found Dead Inside Buckeyes' Football Stadium Ohio State Student, 19, Found Dead Inside Buckeyes' Football Stadium
Ohio State Student, 19, Found Dead Inside Buckeyes' Football Stadium A 19-year-old Ohio State University student was found dead inside Ohio Stadium, prompting an investigation but no immediate safety alert to the campus community. University police said the student, identified as William Meyers of Fairfield, Connecticut, was discovered in the stadium’s northeast corner before 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 26.  A university spokesman confirmed Meyers' identity in a statement to The Lantern, Ohio State's student newspaper. Officials said foul play is not suspected and there is no threat to the public, the outlet reported. The cause of death has not been released…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
'Peeping Tom' Sneaks Into Maryland Dorm Bathroom, Points Camera At Showering Student: Police 'Peeping Tom' Sneaks Into Maryland Dorm Bathroom, Points Camera At Showering Student: Police
'Peeping Tom' Sneaks Into Maryland Dorm Bathroom, Points Camera At Showering Student: Police A Peeping Tom is at large in Maryland after a student reported a voyeur incident inside a dorm, authorities announced. At approximately 11:11 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15, the University of Maryland Police Department was alerted about an incident that had happened minutes earlier in Dorchester Hall. The student said that he was inside a communal bathroom on the third floor of the dorm taking a shower when he saw a White arm come over the top of the shower curtain holding a cellphone with the camera pointed toward him. He opened the curtain to confront the cameraman, but the suspect was ab…

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by Zak Failla
News
New Update: Restrictions Lifted After No Active Shooter Found At University Of Arkansas New Update: Restrictions Lifted After No Active Shooter Found At University Of Arkansas
New Update: Restrictions Lifted After No Active Shooter Found At University Of Arkansas Restrictions have now been lifted after police and campus officials warned students to keep away from Mullins Library as officers swarmed the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville for reports of an active shooter. On Monday afternoon, Aug. 25, the university’s RazALERT emergency system notified the campus community to avoid the area around Mullins Library “due to an active shooter reported,” according to the alert on social media. The message urged: “Avoid. Deny. Defend.” In a follow-up RazALERT, the university said police were responding to multiple reports around campus and reiterated th…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
All-Clear Update Issued After Active Shooting Warning At University Of South Carolina All-Clear Update Issued After Active Shooting Warning At University Of South Carolina
All-Clear Update Issued After Active Shooting Warning At University Of South Carolina This story has been updated. An all-clear update has been issued after an earlier urgent alert warned students and staff of a possible active shooter at the heart of campus at the University of South Carolina, leading to a shelter-in-place order. The updated was issued Sunday evening, Aug. 24, after earlier reports surfaced of a possible shooter at the Thomas Cooper Library, a central hub for students.  "ALL CLEAR," the update stated. "There is no ongoing emergency at this time. The Thomas Cooper Library building remains closed." Earlier, the suspect was described as a 6-foot ta…

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by Joe Lombardi
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…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
DC Man Accused In Penn State Rape Finally Turns Himself In: US Marshals DC Man Accused In Penn State Rape Finally Turns Himself In: US Marshals
DC Man Accused In Penn State Rape Finally Turns Himself In: US Marshals A DC man accused of raping a student at Penn State last fall and going on the run surrendered hours after the US Marshals issued a BOLO looking for him, authorities announced. The US Marshals Service Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force issued an alert on Monday, Aug. 18, advising that they are searching for 19-year-old Abdul-Jabril Cooper, who is wanted for the September 2024 rape of a student at Penn State’s Abington campus. On Tuesday, Aug. 19, federal officials confirmed that Cooper surrendered to the Penn State University Police. He now faces a host of charges. …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
High School Students Fall Through Grate During Campus Tour At Virginia Tech High School Students Fall Through Grate During Campus Tour At Virginia Tech
High School Students Fall Through Grate During Campus Tour At Virginia Tech A campus tour turned chaotic when 10 high school students visiting Virginia Tech fell through a utility grate, university officials said. Ten high schoolers from Washington County Public Schools fell approximately six feet through a collapsed utility grate during a tour of Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus on Wednesday morning, June 26, 2025, officials said. The group had been observing Pamplin Hall when the incident happened near the atrium windows, officials said. The students were able to get themselves out. Emergency responders quickly arrived and assessed the students.  Seven we…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Villanova Student Removed From Campus After Assault Outcry, Won’t Walk At Graduation Villanova Student Removed From Campus After Assault Outcry, Won’t Walk At Graduation
Villanova Student Removed From Campus After Assault Outcry, Won’t Walk At Graduation A Villanova University student who recorded another student’s sexual assault will not walk at the school’s graduation ceremony following intense backlash, the victim's attorney told Daily Voice on Wednesday, April 9. Juan Eguiguren, a Villanova senior, was present during the assault of a female classmate, according to a lawsuit and campus petition. Rather than intervening, Eguiguren allegedly took photos of the incident and later slept in the same room, organizers of the campaign allege. In the underlying case, Elijah Joseph Katzenell, 22, of Camp Hill, PA (according to the Pennsylvania S…

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by Jillian Pikora
Obituaries
Maryland Woman Killed At Rice University 'Was Beacon Of Light, Source Of Inspiration' Maryland Woman Killed At Rice University 'Was Beacon Of Light, Source Of Inspiration'
Maryland Woman Killed At Rice University 'Was Beacon Of Light, Source Of Inspiration' The Maryland woman who was killed in an apparent murder-suicide shortly after returning to Rice University for the new semester is being remembered as a "vibrant soul who brought warmth and joy wherever she went."  This week, Nottingham resident Andrea Rodriguez Avila was identified as the person found during a welfare check by campus police at the university, where she was an incoming junior. University officials confirmed that Avila was found dead in her Jones College room, along with another man who suffered from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was not a member of the Rice community a…

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by Zak Failla
News
Morgan State University Wants To Build Wall Around Campus After Homecoming Shooting In Maryland Morgan State University Wants To Build Wall Around Campus After Homecoming Shooting In Maryland
Morgan State University Wants To Build Wall Around Campus After Homecoming Shooting In Maryland It didn't work out well for former President Donald Trump, but Morgan State University officials announced plans to build a wall around campus after a recent shooting. Four men and a woman were shot during Homecoming Week celebrations near campus at around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3 in the 1700 block of Argonne Drive, leaving the school community shell-shocked. Northeast Shooting Investigation Update In reference to the shooting that occurred on October 3, 2023, on the campus... Posted by Baltimore Police Department on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 "What happened on our campus was such…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
New Video Shows Morgan State University Mass Shooting Suspects New Video Shows Morgan State University Mass Shooting Suspects
New Video Shows Morgan State University Mass Shooting Suspects New video was released of the suspects wanted for the mass shooting at Morgan State University that left five with injuries. Four men and a woman were shot shortly before 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3 in the 1700 block of Argonne Drive, not far from campus, according to a Baltimore Police Department spokesperson. Four of the victims were students at Morgan State.  In the video released by the department overnight, the four suspects can be seen walking across an area lawn around the time of the shooting before it cuts to three from the group rushing back in the opposite direction. It is be…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Report Of Active Shooter Brings Shelter-In-Place Order To University Of Virginia Grounds Report Of Active Shooter Brings Shelter-In-Place Order To University Of Virginia Grounds
Report Of Active Shooter Brings Shelter-In-Place Order To University Of Virginia Grounds UPDATE: UVA Shooting Suspect In Custody, Victims ID'd As Football Players: Officials ***Original story below*** A report of an active shooter brought a shelter-in-place order to the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville late Sunday, Nov. 13, authorities said. Shots were reportedly fired on Culbreth Road, the UVA Police Department tweeted around 10:30 p.m. UVA Alert: Shots fired reported at Culbreth Garage. Follow fire/police direction. If possible, avoid the area. — UVA Police Department (@UVAPolice) November 14, 2022 UVA Alert: UPDATE TO THE SHOOTING ON CULBRETH ROAD.…

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by Nicole Acosta
Schools
Maryland College Student Goes Viral On TikTok With Post On Armed, Dangerous Classmate Maryland College Student Goes Viral On TikTok With Post On Armed, Dangerous Classmate
Maryland College Student Goes Viral On TikTok With Post On Armed, Dangerous Classmate A junior at the University of Baltimore has made national news after going viral on TikTok as she issued a call for help about a student she claims came to class strapped with a gun and could be a potential danger on campus in the future. Madison Vital posted a video on the social media site over the weekend that has garnered nearly two million views where she stated that she doesn't feel safe going to class amid claims of threats and stalking. The video can be seen below. “Everybody that works or attends the University of Baltimore is at risk of losing their life by being there, and admin…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Balding Middle-Aged Man Flashes Female UMD Students On Shuttle Bus: Police Balding Middle-Aged Man Flashes Female UMD Students On Shuttle Bus: Police
Balding Middle-Aged Man Flashes Female UMD Students On Shuttle Bus: Police Police are searching for a balding, middle-aged man who they say exposed himself to a group of females on a University of Maryland shuttle bus Friday, Sept. 2, campus police said. A female student told police she and her two friends got on Shuttle-UM 104 at the Wind Tunnel building around 5:30 p.m., when a male attempted to engage with one of her friends in the group, UMD police said. The group got up and relocated to a different area of the bus, but the male got up and sat near one of the females — and exposed himself, police said. The group got off the bus at the College Park Metro and co…

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by Cecilia Levine