PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A juvenile has been charged in connection with a host of swatting calls made to universities last year, including one at Villanova.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said the juvenile charged in connection with last summer’s active shooter hoax at Villanova chose the school at random, just like all the other swatting calls they’re alleged to have carried out.
Authorities have not identified the juvenile because of their age, but said they have self-identified as a member of the online group known as “Purgatory.”
The group is thought to be responsible for at least 10 swatting calls to universities and other institutions in about a week last summer.
On Aug. 21, an active shooter threat was called into Villanova, and it sent new students and parents on campus during orientation into panic. SWAT teams cleared a building, but no arrests were made, and no one was hurt in the operation.
Villanova Chief of Police David Tedjeske said in a message to the school community that it also brought the largest law enforcement response ever seen to the campus.
Tedjeske said authorities told the school that the juvenile never had any connection to Villanova, had never visited campus, and that there were never actually any plans to attack the institution.
Exact charges against the juvenile have not been released. The punishment for swatting varies state-by-state. A bill in Pennsylvania that would increase the punishment has yet to be passed by the state legislature.
"The safety and well‑being of our University community remain our highest priorities, and we are committed to continually strengthening our policies and emergency systems in response to what we learn," Tedjeske wrote in an email to KYW Newsradio. "I know this incident made for a deeply difficult and unsettling beginning to the academic year for many. It is my hope that sharing this information now offers some measure of clarity, reassurance, and a sense of closure as we continue to move forward. We deeply appreciate the efforts of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, and all those who share in our unwavering commitment and work to keep our campus and community safe."
Officials say they also targeted other schools and institutions
Officials say they also targeted other schools and institutions
