Teen charged with making hoax mass shooting calls at colleges across US — including Villanova’s orientation
A juvenile has been charged with making hoax 'swatting' calls to numerous universities across the United States in 2025, including Villanova University during its student orientation, causing widespread panic and lockdowns. The individual, affiliated with the online criminal group 'Purgatory,' used AI-generated sounds to simulate active shooter scenarios and disrupt campus operations. The case remains sealed due to the defendant's status as a juvenile, and authorities emphasize the dangers and resource strain posed by such false emergency reports.
- ▪The teen made multiple fake active shooter calls to universities, including Villanova, during the 2025 back-to-school season.
- ▪The hoax calls were linked to the online group 'Purgatory,' which used AI to simulate gunfire and screams during 911 calls.
- ▪Villanova University went into lockdown twice in August after receiving false active shooter reports.
- ▪Swatting calls endanger lives, waste law enforcement resources, and have led to police mistakenly shooting victims in past incidents.
- ▪Purgatory reportedly charged clients to carry out swatting attacks and claimed to have earned $100,000 by September 2025.
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US News Teen charged with making hoax mass shooting calls at colleges across US — including Villanova’s orientation By Priscilla DeGregory Published April 30, 2026, 7:34 p.m. ET A teen has been charged with making hoax active shooter reports at numerous universities last year — including a terrifying incident at Villanova University that left students fleeing during Orientation Mass. The kid — an admitted member of the the online criminal group “Purgatory” — wasn’t affiliated with the colleges and institutions that were randomly targeted for disruptive so-called “swatting calls,” according to the Philadelphia US Attorney David Metcalf. The case is sealed since the defendant is being charged as a juvenile and details like their name, age, sex and where they are from are all confidential.
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