Campus Alert Archive
ERAU

Five Minutes Away With an AK-47: Embry-Riddle Locks Down for Five Hours After Phone Threat

FLswattingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed HoaxDetermined to be a hoax. The institutional response is documented because it reveals how the alert system performed under a perceived real threat.

On February 17, 2026, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach campus was placed on lockdown at 8:40 PM after a caller claimed to be five minutes away and planned to shoot up the campus with an AK-47. The campus was locked down for five hours before no credible threat was found. A second false threat the following afternoon prompted another evacuation.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Private R2 · FL
~11,500 studentsERAU Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTPush
Verified verbatimFox 35 Orlando (verbatim ERAU push notification quoted in coverage)78 chars
Possible active threat reported in the Student Union. Stay away from the area.
Verbatim text of the initial ERAU push notification quoted in Fox 35 Orlando reporting on the February 17, 2026 lockdown
Followed by additional instructions stating 'No matter where you are on campus, you shelter in place' as quoted by ClickOrlando
The threat was called in at approximately 8:40 PM EST, with the caller stating they were five minutes away and planned to shoot up the campus
UPDATEPush+1h 9m
Approximate reconstruction209 chars
ERAU UPDATE: All students, faculty, and staff are safe. Continue to shelter in place and avoid the area or return to your dorm until further notice. Law enforcement is conducting a building-by-building search.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from ClickOrlando and Fox 35 Orlando reporting
This update came approximately one hour after the initial alert at 9:49 PM
Law enforcement began a building-by-building investigation starting with the Mori Hosseini Student Union
ALL CLEARPush
Approximate reconstruction195 chars
ERAU ALERT: The campus has been cleared. No credible threat was found. Campus operations have resumed and all students and employees are safe. Law enforcement will maintain an increased presence.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from WFTV and University Herald reporting
The lockdown lasted approximately five hours from 8:40 PM to approximately 1:40 AM
The FBI assisted local law enforcement in the investigation
Context

Background

On the evening of February 17, 2026, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach campus received a phone call at 8:40 PM from a caller who stated they were five minutes away and planned to start shooting up the campus with an AK-47. The university issued a campus-wide shelter-in-place alert, and law enforcement conducted a building-by-building investigation beginning with the Mori Hosseini Student Union. The campus was cleared after approximately five hours, with no credible threat found. A second false threat the following afternoon around 3:30 PM prompted another evacuation but no lockdown. Some students expressed dissatisfaction with the university's communication during the incidents.
Analysis

Key Findings

The specific and immediate nature of the threat (five minutes away with an AK-47) required maximum emergency response
The five-hour lockdown extending past midnight created unique challenges for residential students
A second false threat the next day demonstrated how repeat hoaxes compound campus anxiety and strain resources
Outcome
No shooter or weapons were found. The campus was cleared by approximately 1:40 AM on February 18. A second false threat on February 18 at 3:30 PM caused another evacuation but no lockdown. The FBI assisted in the investigation.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on lockdown after shooting threat (WFTV)
    wftv.com
  2. News
    Embry-Riddle University lockdown lifted after big scare (ClickOrlando)
    clickorlando.com
  3. News
    Embry-Riddle University lockdown lifted after no threat found on campus (Fox 35 Orlando)
    fox35orlando.com
  4. Student Paper
    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Faces Two Possible Active Shooter Threats (Her Campus)
    hercampus.com
Tags
swattingshooting-threathoaxfloridadaytona-beachprivate-universitynighttime-lockdownrepeat-threatHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion