Campus Alert Archive
Bucknell

Researchers Heard It Live: Anti-Hate Group Intercepted Purgatory's Swatting Call to Bucknell as It Happened

PAswattingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed HoaxDetermined to be a hoax. The institutional response is documented because it reveals how the alert system performed under a perceived real threat.

On August 21, 2025, a swatting call reported a shooter at Bertrand Library at Bucknell University, prompting a Bucknell Alert at 6:37 PM EDT and an hour-plus campus lockdown. The call was placed by a Purgatory member known as 'Gores,' and GPAHE researchers who were monitoring the group heard the call in real time and immediately alerted Bucknell security that it was a hoax.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Bucknell University
Private Liberal Arts · PA
~3,800 studentsBucknell Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction181 chars
Bucknell Alert: Report of an active shooter at Bertrand Library. Shelter in place. Lock and barricade doors. Avoid the library area. Follow instructions from public safety officers.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from The Bucknellian, which reported that alerts were sent via Public Safety text-alert system and Bucknell's Facebook page at 6:37 PM EDT telling recipients to seek safe shelter immediately until the lockdown order was lifted
Bucknell's Public Safety Chief Anthony Morgan received a warning from the FBI that the university was about to be swatted, nearly simultaneous with the hoax call
GPAHE researchers monitoring Purgatory's Discord heard the call being placed in real time on Discord by a Purgatory member known as 'Gores' and contacted Bucknell security
ALL CLEARSMS+1h 18m
Approximate reconstruction180 chars
Bucknell Alert: All clear. The report of an active shooter at Bertrand Library was a hoax. There is no threat to the campus. The lockdown has been lifted. Resume normal activities.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from media reports; The Bucknellian reported the all-clear lockdown lift came approximately one hour and 18 minutes after the initial 6:37 PM alert
At 7:55 PM EDT on Friday, state police concluded that 'the report of an active shooter was determined to be a hoax coordinated out of Virginia'
This was one of three swatting incidents Bucknell experienced over approximately 18 months
Context

Background

On August 21, 2025, someone called the Central Susquehanna Regional 911 center on a non-emergency line, reporting a shooter in Bertrand Library at Bucknell University. At nearly the same time, Bucknell's Public Safety Chief Morgan received a warning from the FBI that the university was about to be swatted. Bucknell Alert text messages and a Facebook post went out at 6:37 PM EDT instructing recipients to seek safe shelter immediately until the lockdown order was lifted. In a remarkable coincidence, researchers at the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE), who were searching for the perpetrators of the Villanova hoax earlier that day, heard the Bucknell call being placed on a Discord channel by a Purgatory member known as 'Gores' and immediately contacted Bucknell security to confirm it was a hoax. Despite these advance warnings, Union County, Buffalo Valley Regional Police, and Bucknell officers all responded quickly and conducted a full sweep. By 7:55 PM EDT, Pennsylvania State Police had concluded the report was 'a hoax coordinated out of Virginia.' 'Gores' is believed to be the self-proclaimed leader of Purgatory, which is linked to a violent online extremist network called The Com. This was one of three swatting incidents Bucknell experienced over approximately 18 months.
Analysis

Key Findings

GPAHE researchers heard the swatting call being placed in real time on Discord, providing a rare firsthand account of how Purgatory coordinates its attacks
The FBI warned Bucknell's security chief almost simultaneously with the hoax call, showing federal authorities were actively monitoring the group
Despite advance warnings from both the FBI and GPAHE, a full multi-agency response was still required, demonstrating the operational burden even when a hoax is suspected
Outcome
No threat was found. The FBI had warned Bucknell's Public Safety Chief that a swatting call was incoming. GPAHE researchers contacted the university directly to confirm the hoax. Union County, Buffalo Valley Regional Police, and Bucknell officers responded.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Bucknell University a target of swatting on Thursday (Sunbury Daily Item)
    dailyitem.com
  2. Student Paper
    Updates and safety advice from Chief Morgan (The Bucknellian)
    bucknellian.net
  3. News
    Anti-extremism researchers identified group behind Villanova hoax (Philadelphia Inquirer)
    inquirer.com
  4. News
    Cybercrime group Purgatory takes credit for swatting calls (PhillyVoice)
    phillyvoice.com
Tags
swattingactive-shooter-hoaxpurgatorygoresgpahelibrarybertrand-librarypennsylvaniafbi-warningprivate-liberal-artsthe-comHoax
Added April 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion