Campus Alert Archive
Middlebury

83-Minute Alert Delay: Swatting Caller Claims AR-15 and Suicide Vest at Middlebury's Davis Library

VTswattingemergency 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 the evening of April 9, 2023, Vermont State Police dispatch received an anonymous 911 call at approximately 10:28 PM EDT claiming an active shooter with an AR-15 and suicide vest was inside Davis Family Library. Middlebury Police evacuated the library and searched the building, finding no threat. The MiddAlert emergency notification was not sent until 11:54 PM — approximately 83 minutes after the 911 call — sparking criticism about the delay.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Middlebury College
Private Liberal Arts · VT
~2,800 studentsMiddAlert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

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 ALERTmulti-channel
Approximate reconstruction197 chars
MiddAlert: Police are responding to a report of an active shooter at Davis Family Library. Please shelter in place immediately. Avoid the library and surrounding areas. This is an active emergency.

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

Sent at 11:54 PM EDT on April 9, 2023, approximately 83 minutes after the 911 call was received at 10:28 PM
The 83-minute delay was later criticized — students in and around the library were unaware of the reported threat during the police response
The college later explained they had identified patterns in swatting calls and the information was inconsistent with what was happening on scene
ALL CLEARmulti-channel+29 min
Approximate reconstruction190 chars
MiddAlert UPDATE: ALL CLEAR. The report of an active shooter at Davis Family Library has been determined to be a false report. There is no threat to campus. You may resume normal activities.

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

Sent at 12:23 AM EDT on April 10, 2023, just 29 minutes after the initial MiddAlert
The all-clear identified the incident as a 'false report,' which is consistent with swatting terminology
Similar hoax calls were reported at Boston University, Syracuse University, and Wake Forest University the same evening
Context

Background

On Sunday evening, April 9, 2023, Vermont State Police dispatch received an anonymous 911 call at approximately 10:28 PM EDT claiming an active shooter with an AR-15 wearing a suicide vest was inside Middlebury College's Davis Family Library. Middlebury Police were dispatched and evacuated students from the library before conducting a thorough search. WCAX reported that officers found no evidence of any threat after a 31-minute search. The MiddAlert notification was not sent until 11:54 PM, approximately 83 minutes after the 911 call, drawing significant criticism. The college addressed the delay, noting that the caller's information was inconsistent with what was happening on scene and that they had identified patterns in swatting trends. An all-clear was issued at 12:23 AM. Radio communication problems during the response further complicated the situation, with the library's building structure disrupting police radio frequencies. Similar hoax calls were reported at Boston University, Syracuse University, and Wake Forest University the same evening, part of a broader national swatting campaign targeting college campuses.
Analysis

Key Findings

The 83-minute gap between the 911 call (10:28 PM) and the MiddAlert notification (11:54 PM) was the central controversy of this incident
Building structure at Davis Family Library disrupted police radio frequencies during the response, hampering coordination
The incident was part of a coordinated national swatting campaign that also targeted Boston University, Syracuse, and Wake Forest on the same evening
Outcome
Police determined the call was a swatting hoax after evacuating and searching Davis Family Library. An all-clear was issued at 12:23 AM on April 10. The delay in sending the MiddAlert prompted campus debate about emergency communication protocols.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Update on the Events of Sunday Night (Middlebury College)
    middlebury.edu
  2. News
    False report of active shooter raises fears at Middlebury College (VTDigger)
    vtdigger.org
  3. News
    No threat found after report of active shooter (WCAX)
    wcax.com
  4. Official
    Message to Community Regarding Shelter-in-Place Order (Middlebury College)
    middlebury.edu
  5. News
    Middlebury College threat response hampered by police radio problems (WCAX)
    wcax.com
Tags
swattingactive-shooter-hoaxalert-delaylibraryliberal-arts-collegevermontradio-communication-failurecoordinated-attackHoax
Added April 2026Updated April 2026Via ingestion