Campus Alert Archive
USC

False 911 calls with simulated gunfire trigger an active-shooter alert at the library

AI-generated · every claim is source-linked
SCswattingemergency notificationmedium confidence
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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 24, 2025, USCPD dispatch received two 911 calls within two minutes reporting an active shooter at Thomas Cooper Library, with the unknown male caller using background noise that mimicked gunfire. The Carolina Alert system sent a full active shooter notification with Run-Hide-Fight instructions to the campus community.

Alerts
4
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of South Carolina
Public R1 · SC
All USC cases →
~35,000 studentsCarolina Alert
Official alert policy
Read when and how USC says it will use Carolina Alert: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

4 messages in sequence · 4 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTTwitter/X
Verified verbatim164 chars
Urgent Carolina Alert: Active Shooter at Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus. Subject reported as 6ft white male with black pants. http://sc.edu/carolinaalert.
Verify this quote
@CarolinaAlert on X (verbatim)x.comfind archived copies
Sent shortly after the second 911 call at 6:32:20 PM EDT, the unknown male caller's hoax included background noise that mimicked gunfire
Pushes a granular suspect description ('6ft white male with black pants') sourced from the swatting caller, the same caller who fabricated the shooter report in the first place
Carolina Alert posted this same text to X (Twitter) as well as sending it via SMS, email, and other channels
Corrected to exact fxtwitter display text.
UPDATETwitter/X
Verified verbatim155 chars
Urgent Carolina Alert: No evident of an Active Shooter at this time. Police are searching. Please continue to shelter in place until there is an all clear.
Verify this quote
@CarolinaAlert on X (verbatim raw t.co)x.comfind archived copies
Posted verbatim by the official Carolina Alert account and quoted word-for-word by CNN and WLTX
Includes Run-Hide-Fight instructions ('Defend yourself if you encounter the suspect')
The caller claimed to have seen a person carrying a firearm going into Thomas Cooper Library
UPDATESMS
Verified verbatim155 chars
Urgent Carolina Alert: No evident of an Active Shooter at this time. Police are searching. Please continue to shelter in place until there is an all clear.
Verify this quote
Carolina Alert official X/Twitter account, verbatim post at approximately 7:10 PM EDT; text also confirmed via official Facebook postx.comfind archived copies
Verbatim text confirmed from the official @CarolinaAlert X post; the word 'evident' is the original typo in the sent alert (should be 'evidence'), typo preserved per archive policy
Despite the typo, the message clearly communicates there is no active shooter and instructs continued shelter-in-place
This message was notable for continuing to instruct shelter-in-place even as police found no evidence of a threat
ALL CLEARSMS
Verified verbatim121 chars
Carolina Alert: ALL CLEAR. ALL CLEAR. There is no ongoing emergency at this time; you no longer need to shelter in place.
Verify this quote
WLTX quoting the Carolina Alert all-clear verbatimwltx.comfind archived copies
WLTX quoted this all-clear text exactly as sent, including the doubled 'ALL CLEAR. ALL CLEAR.' for emphasis
Notably brief, does not yet characterize the incident as a hoax (that came in later official statements)
SLED was brought in to assist with the investigation into the false reports
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

Urgent Carolina Alert: Active Shooter at Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus. Subject reported as 6ft white male with black pants. http://sc.edu/carolinaalert.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement that the 'Urgent Carolina Alert' branded signature identifies the issuing system.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: 'Urgent Carolina Alert' branded signature.
    2. present: 'Urgent Carolina Alert' branded signature.
    3. present: 'Urgent Carolina Alert' branded signature.
    4. present: Branded "Urgent Carolina Alert" signature.
    5. present: 'Urgent Carolina Alert' branded signature.
    6. present: 'Urgent Carolina Alert' branded signature.
    7. present: 'Urgent Carolina Alert' branded signature.
    8. present: 'Urgent Carolina Alert' identifies sender.
    9. present: 'Urgent Carolina Alert' branded signature identifies the system.
    10. present: Labeled "Urgent Carolina Alert"
    11. present: Carolina Alert identifies the sender.
    12. present: Urgent Carolina Alert branding via sc.edu.
    13. present: Branded 'Urgent Carolina Alert' signature.
    14. present: Labeled 'Urgent Carolina Alert'.
    15. present: Urgent Carolina Alert names the issuing system.
    16. present: Branded "Urgent Carolina Alert."
    17. present: 'Urgent Carolina Alert' branded signature.
    18. present: 'Urgent Carolina Alert' signature.
    19. present: 'Urgent Carolina Alert' branded signature.
    20. present: "Urgent Carolina Alert" branded signature
    21. present: Branded 'Urgent Carolina Alert' signature identifies the issuer.
    22. present: Labeled Urgent Carolina Alert with link to sc.edu/carolinaalert.
    23. present: 'Urgent Carolina Alert' branded signature identifies the sender.
    24. present: Branded 'Urgent Carolina Alert' signature.
    25. present: 'Urgent Carolina Alert' branded signature.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement that 'Active Shooter' names a specific hazard.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: 'Active Shooter' named.
    2. present: 'Active Shooter' named.
    3. present: 'Active Shooter' named specifically.
    4. present: Names an active shooter specifically.
    5. present: 'Active Shooter' named.
    6. present: 'Active Shooter' named.
    7. present: 'Active Shooter' named explicitly.
    8. present: 'Active Shooter' named.
    9. present: Names active shooter.
    10. present: Names "Active Shooter" as the hazard
    11. present: Active Shooter is named specifically.
    12. present: Active Shooter named explicitly.
    13. present: Names active shooter.
    14. present: States 'Active Shooter'.
    15. present: Active shooter named as the threat.
    16. present: Names "Active Shooter."
    17. present: 'Active Shooter at Thomas Cooper Library'.
    18. present: 'Active Shooter' specifically named.
    19. present: Active shooter named.
    20. present: "Active Shooter" named
    21. present: Names 'Active Shooter' as the specific hazard.
    22. present: Names active shooter.
    23. present: 'Active Shooter' names the hazard.
    24. present: States 'Active Shooter'.
    25. present: 'Active Shooter' named.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement that 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus' is a specific named location.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus' named.
    2. present: 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus' named.
    3. present: 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus'.
    4. present: Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus.
    5. present: 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus'.
    6. present: 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus'.
    7. present: 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus'.
    8. present: 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus.'
    9. present: Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus.
    10. present: Names Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus
    11. present: Names Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus.
    12. present: Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus.
    13. present: Names Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus.
    14. present: Names 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus'.
    15. present: Thomas Cooper Library, Columbia campus specified.
    16. present: Names "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus."
    17. present: 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus'.
    18. present: 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus' named.
    19. present: 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus'.
    20. present: "Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus"
    21. present: Names 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus.'
    22. present: Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus specified.
    23. present: 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus'.
    24. present: Names 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus'.
    25. present: 'Thomas Cooper Library on Columbia campus' given.
  • Guidanceabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement: the message only describes the suspect and provides a link, giving no protective-action instruction to recipients.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No protective action instructed, only suspect description given.
    2. absent: No protective action instructed, only suspect description.
    3. absent: No protective action instructed, only suspect description given.
    4. absent: Describes the suspect but gives no protective action instruction.
    5. absent: No protective action instructed, only a suspect description.
    6. absent: No protective action given, only suspect description.
    7. absent: No protective action instructed, only subject description given.
    8. absent: Only suspect description given, no protective instruction.
    9. absent: No protective action instructed, only suspect description given.
    10. absent: No protective action instructed to recipients
    11. absent: Only describes the suspect, gives no protective instruction.
    12. absent: No protective instruction given, only suspect description.
    13. absent: Gives suspect description but no explicit protective action instruction.
    14. absent: No protective action instructed, only a suspect description and a link.
    15. absent: No protective action instructed, only suspect description given.
    16. absent: No protective action instructed, only a suspect description.
    17. absent: No protective action instructed, only a description of the subject.
    18. absent: No protective action instructed, only suspect description.
    19. absent: No protective action instructed to recipients, just description of suspect.
    20. absent: No protective action instructed, only suspect description and info link
    21. absent: Only describes the suspect, gives no protective action instruction.
    22. absent: No protective action instructed, only a suspect description.
    23. absent: No protective instruction given, only suspect description and link.
    24. absent: Only describes the suspect, gives no protective instruction.
    25. absent: No instruction to recipients, only description of subject.
  • Timeabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement: no clock time or date is given.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No time reference given.
    2. absent: No time or recency given.
    3. absent: No clock time or recency marker given.
    4. absent: No clock time or date given.
    5. absent: No clock time or date given.
    6. absent: No clock time given.
    7. absent: No clock time or date given.
    8. absent: No clock time or recency marker.
    9. absent: No clock time or date given.
    10. absent: No clock time or date given
    11. absent: No time or recency reference.
    12. absent: No clock time or date given.
    13. absent: No clock time or date given.
    14. absent: No clock time or date given.
    15. absent: No time or date given.
    16. absent: No clock time or date given.
    17. absent: No time given.
    18. absent: No clock time or recency term given.
    19. absent: No clock time or date given.
    20. absent: No clock time or date given
    21. absent: No clock time or date given.
    22. absent: No clock time or date given.
    23. absent: No clock time or recency marker present.
    24. absent: No clock time or date given.
    25. absent: No clock time or date given.
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement: no consequence or severity is stated beyond naming the hazard.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No stated consequence or severity beyond the hazard name.
    2. absent: No stated consequence.
    3. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    4. absent: No stated consequence beyond naming the hazard.
    5. absent: No stated consequence.
    6. absent: No stated consequence.
    7. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    8. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    9. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    10. absent: No stated consequence beyond hazard name
    11. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    12. absent: No stated consequence beyond hazard name.
    13. absent: No stated consequence or severity described.
    14. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    15. absent: No stated harm or consequence.
    16. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    17. absent: No stated consequence.
    18. absent: No stated consequence.
    19. absent: No stated consequence.
    20. absent: No stated consequence beyond hazard name
    21. absent: No stated consequence beyond naming the hazard.
    22. absent: No stated consequence described.
    23. absent: No stated consequence or danger described.
    24. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    25. absent: No stated consequence beyond hazard.

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

On the evening of August 24, 2025, USCPD dispatch received two 911 calls within two minutes, at 6:30:42 PM EDT and 6:32:20 PM EDT, from an unknown male claiming an active shooter was at Thomas Cooper Library on the University of South Carolina's Columbia campus. Both calls included background noise that mimicked gunfire, a tactic designed to make the false report sound more credible. The Carolina Alert system sent a full active shooter notification directing students to evacuate, shelter, and defend themselves. Students in the library and surrounding buildings took cover, sending frantic texts to family members. By approximately 7:10 PM EDT, police reported finding no evidence of a shooter but continued sweeping the area. The incident was confirmed as a swatting hoax, part of a nationwide wave of false active shooter reports targeting university libraries in late August 2025. SLED and USCPD launched an investigation, and a Pennsylvania juvenile, a self-identified member of the Purgatory group, was later charged in connection with the USC hoax and a series of 2025 swatting calls at randomly selected universities. Parents and students later questioned whether the university's emergency protocols were adequate for handling swatting incidents.
Analysis

Key Findings

The 911 caller used background noise mimicking gunfire to make the false report sound credible, a sophisticated swatting tactic
The Carolina Alert system sent a full active shooter message with Run-Hide-Fight instructions before the hoax was confirmed
The incident was part of the August 2025 nationwide university swatting wave attributed to the extremist group Purgatory
Outcome
Police found no evidence of a shooting after sweeping the library and surrounding area. The incident was confirmed as a swatting hoax. SLED and USCPD launched an investigation.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. News
    Officials: USC was target of swatting hoax (WIS-TV)
    wistv.com
    archived copy
  2. News
    University of South Carolina lifts active shooter alert at Thomas Cooper Library (WLTX)
    wltx.com
    archived copy
  3. News
    University of South Carolina: Active shooter report was a hoax (CNN)
    cnn.com
    archived copy
  4. Source
    USC Swatting Incident Highlights Growing Trend (Campus Safety Magazine)
    campussafetymagazine.com
    archived copy
  5. News
    Juvenile charged for shooting hoax at South Carolina college (Post and Courier)
    postandcourier.com
    archived copy
  6. Official
    @CarolinaAlert on X
    x.com
    archived copy
  7. Official
    @CarolinaAlert on X (verbatim raw t.co)
    x.com
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "University of South Carolina: False 911 calls with simulated gunfire trigger an active-shooter alert at the library." Incident of August 24, 2025. Added April 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/university-of-south-carolina-swatting-2025-08-24/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
swattingactive-shooter-hoaxpurgatorylibrarysouth-carolinarun-hide-fightsimulated-gunfirepublic-universityHoax
Added April 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion