Suspect Charged In Villanova Hoax Active Shooter Scares: Feds

VILLANOVA, PA — A minor is facing charges related to the hoax active-shooter scares that spread panic at Villanova University and other institutions last summer.

Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that the juvenile was responsible for a rash of "swatting" calls aimed at universities and other institutions last August. Swatting refers to making hoax calls about a major emergency designed to bring law enforcement — particularly SWAT teams — to the victim's location.

An active shooter was reported Aug. 21 at Villanova, spreading panic as students moved in for the new school year. But authorities later determined that the report was bogus.

A similar hoax impacted the campus a few days later.

More than a dozen universities across the country reported similar false threats in late August.

U.S. Attorney David Metcalf, of Pennsylvania's Eastern District, didn't specify the minor's role or which calls they were involved in. But multiple local police departments, including Radnor's, investigated the matter with the FBI and other agencies, prosecutors said.

The suspect was a self-identified member of cybercriminal group "Purgatory," Metcalf said. The juvenile is not affiliated with any of the targeted institutions.

Authorities withheld the suspect's name because they're a minor, and specific charges weren't disclosed.