Campus Alert Archive
GW

Fraudulent 911 Call Evacuates GW's District House Dorm in Foggy Bottom

DCbomb threatemergency 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 October 27, 2025, an individual called 911 to report a bomb in District House, a George Washington University building containing student housing, a dining facility, and a lecture hall. Officials issued a GW Alert at 10:26 AM EDT ordering immediate evacuation, and MPD completed its investigation by 11:45 AM, finding no evidence of a bomb.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
George Washington University
Private R1 · DC
~27,000 studentsGW 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 ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction104 chars
GW Alert: Evacuate District House immediately. Access is restricted to first responders. Avoid the area.

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

Reconstructed from GW Hatchet and official campus advisory reporting
MPD officers arrived at the building at 10:19 AM EDT, and the alert followed 7 minutes later at 10:26 AM
District House is located on the 2100 block of H Street NW in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood
UPDATESMS+46 min
Verified verbatimGeorge Washington University official Facebook post reproducing the 11:12 AM GW Alert53 chars
GW Alert: District House is in GWorld Emergency Mode.
Posted by George Washington University at 11:12 AM EDT, confirming that GWorld Emergency Mode had been activated for District House while the MPD investigation continued
GWorld Emergency Mode locks all GWorld card readers in the affected building, restricting access to authorized first responders only
The Mode was lifted by an all-clear at 11:45 AM EDT when MPD completed its investigation
ALL CLEARSMS+1h 19m
Approximate reconstruction149 chars
GW Alert: District House is now safe for reentry. MPD has completed its investigation. No evidence of a bomb was found. Normal activities may resume.

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

Reconstructed from GW Hatchet and official GW Campus Advisories page; the all-clear language is paraphrased from coverage of the event
GWorld Emergency Mode was lifted at 11:45 AM when MPD completed its investigation
The total evacuation lasted approximately 1 hour and 19 minutes from alert to all-clear
Context

Background

On the morning of October 27, 2025, an individual called 911 to report a bomb in District House, a GW building on the 2100 block of H Street NW that houses student dormitories, a dining facility, and a lecture hall. MPD officers arrived at 10:19 AM EDT, and officials issued a GW Alert at 10:26 AM ordering residents to evacuate immediately. The building was placed in GWorld Emergency Mode, restricting access to first responders. MPD completed its investigation by 11:45 AM, finding no evidence of an explosive device. The GW Police Department, safety, and student affairs teams provided support throughout the incident. A second fraudulent bomb threat targeted District House on November 14, 2025, just three weeks later, suggesting a pattern of targeted harassment against the building.
Analysis

Key Findings

The 7-minute gap between police arrival and the GW Alert demonstrated a relatively quick notification process
District House was targeted by a second fraudulent bomb threat just three weeks later on November 14, 2025
The building's mixed-use nature (housing, dining, lecture hall) meant the evacuation affected multiple campus functions simultaneously
Outcome
MPD officers responded at 10:19 AM and completed a thorough investigation by 11:45 AM. No evidence of an explosive device was found. The threat was determined to be fraudulent. A second similar bomb threat targeted District House again on November 14, 2025.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    MPD, GWPD investigate bomb threat in District House dining hall (The GW Hatchet)
    gwhatchet.com
  2. Official
    October 27, 2025 - District House Evacuation (GW Campus Advisories)
    campusadvisories.gwu.edu
  3. News
    George Washington University building evacuated after bomb threat (WJLA)
    wjla.com
  4. Student Paper
    GWPD, MPD investigate second fraudulent District House bomb threat (The GW Hatchet)
    gwhatchet.com
Tags
bomb-threatdistrict-of-columbiaevacuationstudent-housingfoggy-bottomprivate-universityrepeat-threatHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion