Villanovaโ Hoax & Rising Threat of ‘Swatting‘โ Spark Calls for Stronger Laws, tech Solutions
Villanova, PA – โคAugust 26, 2025 – Aโ campus-wide blessing atโฃ Villanova University followed an active shooter hoax reported Wednesday, highlighting a risky andโ escalating trend known as “swatting” – deliberately making false reports of emergencies โto trigger a large police response. Theโ incident at Villanova comes as authorities grapple with increasing swatting incidents nationwide, and experts are urging for stronger legal penalties and improved technology to combat the practice.
The โขhoax at Villanova, thankfully resulting in no injuries, underscores the real-world consequencesโฃ of โขswatting, which can divert critical resources from genuine emergencies and putโฃ both the public and law enforcement at risk.
Swattingโ involves falsely reporting a serious situation – โsuchโ as a hostage situation, bomb threat, or โคactive shooter – to emergency services. The goal is โto provoke a SWAT team (Special Weapons and Tactics) response to a specific address, often targeting an individual. The practice gained notoriety in 2017 with the tragic death of Andrew Finch in Wichita, Kansas. Finch was fatallyโฃ shotโฃ by policeโฃ responding to a swatting call made by Tyler Barriss, who falsely reported a hostage situation at Finch’s home. Barriss, who did โขnot know Finch, targeted an address he believed โฃbelonged toโข someone else.โ Barriss was sentenced โฃto 20 years inโ prison for his role in Finch’s death, as reported by NBC News.
“The fact โis every hoax call like this diverts officers from real emergencies and real risks, and that’s the real tragedy of it,” said John DeCarlo, a former police chief and current professor at the University of New Haven’s Henry C.Leeโค College of Criminal Justice and Forensic โScience. “It takes publicโฃ protection away were it’s needed.”
The FBI has begun treating swatting as a federal offense,a significantโ step in addressing the issue. However, authorities face challenges in tracking down perpetrators who often utilize technology to mask their voices, IP addresses, andโข identities.
Earlier this year,โฃ anโ 18-year-old from Southern California was sentenced to four years in prison afterโฃ being convicted ofโ making over 375โ swatting and threat calls between August 2022 and january 2024,โข including false reports ofโข mass shootings, according to the Department of โคJustice.
Experts emphasize the need for aโฃ multi-pronged approach to combat swatting. “It’s often like thisโค with technology: We need to catch up,” explainedโ Hill,noting that someโ states have stronger protections in place. “We need to get some laws onโฃ the books.”
The โrise in swatting incidents suggests authorities will continueโค toโค face a challenging landscape as โฃthey work to identify and prosecute those responsible. The potential โfor real-world harm, as tragically demonstrated in Wichita, underscores the urgencyโ of addressing this dangerous trend.
Reporting by: Amanda Lee Myers, Senior Crime Reporter, USA TODAY & Michael โขLoria, National โฃReporter, USA TODAY Breaking News Desk. Contact Michael Loriaโค at mloria@usatoday.com, โค@mchael_mchael or on Signal at (202) 290-4585.
