PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Wired magazine said it has spoken to one of the people behind a string of active shooter hoaxes on U.S. college campuses, including the phony emergency at Villanova University on Aug. 21.
The article, published Wednesday afternoon, links the swatting incidents to a violent extremist network called The Com. Wired spoke to an individual who goes by the name Gores. He is the self-proclaimed leader of an online group called Purgatory that offers services like swatting for a fee.
School threats cost as little as $20. The price is higher for hospitals, businesses and airports.
Prices have gone up as swatting has recently garnered more attention.
Gores told Wired that members of the swatting group have not been scared off by law enforcement crackdowns, and that their efforts will continue.
The FBI declined to comment on the matter.