Is A Serial Prankster On The Loose? Alarms Raised As 'Active Shooter' Hoaxes Hit Two Universities In A Row

The quiet campus of University of Arkansas has been shaken by a slew of false active shooter reports (Credit: Instagram @uarkansas)

KEY POINTS

• University of Arkansas evacuated after 346 false calls of a gunman across seven campus buildings.
• At least six US universities faced active shooter alerts this week, all later proven false.
• Investigators probing whether a coordinated swatting ring is behind the spree of fake calls.

The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville was thrown into chaos on Monday afternoon, August 25, after a wave of phone calls falsely reporting an active shooter forced evacuations, a campus lockdown and widespread panic. It was one of several false alarms to hit universities across the country in recent days, sparking fears that a serial prankster, or coordinated group, may be behind a spate of terrifying swatting incidents.