Campus Alert Archive
Texas Tech

FALSE ALARM at 18th and Flint: Texas Tech Police Swarm Architecture Building After Hoax Active Shooter Report

TXswattingemergency 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 August 27, 2025, just after 5:30 PM CDT, Texas Tech University received a report of an active shooter near the Architecture Building on the southern part of campus, near 18th Street and Flint Avenue. Texas Tech Police immediately responded and quickly determined the report was a false alarm consistent with the nationwide wave of swatting incidents targeting universities.

Alerts
2
Response
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Killed
—
Injured
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Institution
Texas Tech University
Public R1 · TX
~40,000 studentsTechAlert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 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 reconstruction187 chars
TechAlert! Texas Tech University has received a report of an active shooter on campus near the Architecture Building. Texas Tech Police are responding. Avoid the area near 18th and Flint.

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

Reconstructed from KCBD and EverythingLubbock coverage; officers responded to the Architecture Building area just after 5:30 PM CDT
The Architecture Building is located near 18th Street and Flint Avenue on the southern part of campus
ALL CLEARTwitter/X
Verified verbatimTexas Tech University official X account post, August 27, 2025281 chars
A short time ago, Texas Tech University received a report of an active shooter on campus near the Architecture Building. Texas Tech Police immediately responded, and law enforcement thoroughly investigated the situation. It was quickly determined that the report was a false alarm.
Posted by the official Texas Tech University X account; the message both acknowledged the active-shooter report and announced the false-alarm determination in a single follow-up communication
The FBI's Lubbock office issued safety tips following the incident
Context

Background

On the evening of August 27, 2025, Texas Tech University received a report of an active shooter near the Architecture Building on the southern part of campus, near 18th Street and Flint Avenue. Texas Tech Police immediately responded with a heavy law enforcement presence. The report was quickly determined to be a false alarm, and the university confirmed it was consistent with a series of 'swatting incidents' targeting universities and schools across the country. Similar calls had been reported at Villanova, the University of New Hampshire, University of Arkansas, Iowa State, Northern Arizona, CU Boulder, and Kansas State in the preceding days. The FBI warned that these hoaxes not only disrupt learning but drain law enforcement resources and put lives at risk. Texas Tech was one of several universities hit in the second week of the August 2025 swatting wave, as the Purgatory group expanded its targeting beyond the initial August 21-25 cluster.
Analysis

Key Findings

Texas Tech was targeted on August 27, two days after the main cluster of Purgatory-linked incidents on August 25, suggesting the campaign was expanding
The FBI's Lubbock field office issued public safety tips specifically in response to the Texas Tech incident
The Architecture Building target is a departure from the Purgatory pattern of targeting campus libraries, though still a large campus building
Outcome
No shooter or threat was found. The incident was confirmed as part of the nationwide university swatting campaign. The FBI issued safety tips in the aftermath.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    FALSE ALARM: Texas Tech active shooter report part of nationwide hoax (KCBD)
    kcbd.com
  2. News
    Texas Tech active shooter report deemed a false alarm hoax (EverythingLubbock)
    everythinglubbock.com
  3. News
    FALSE ALARM: Texas Tech active shooter report part of nationwide hoax (NewsChannel 10)
    newschannel10.com
  4. News
    FBI Shares Safety Tips After Texas Tech Swatting Scare (KFYO)
    kfyo.com
Tags
swattingactive-shooter-hoaxpurgatoryarchitecture-buildingtexasfbi-warningpublic-universityHoax
Added April 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion