Campus Alert Archive
ERAU

Phoned shooting threat prompts a five-hour lockdown; a second false threat followed

AI-generated · every claim is source-linked
FLswattingemergency notificationmedium confidence
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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 February 17, 2026, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach campus was placed on lockdown at 8:40 PM EST after a caller claimed to be five minutes away and planned to shoot up the campus with an AK-47. The campus was locked down for five hours before no credible threat was found. A second false threat the following afternoon prompted another evacuation.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Private R2 · FL
All ERAU cases →
~11,500 studentsERAU Alert
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

Some messages in this sequence are documented (their existence, timing, and channel are sourced) but their exact wording is not preserved in the public record. Those entries appear as placeholders; only confirmed text is displayed.

INITIAL ALERTPush
Verified verbatim96 chars
Possible active threat reported in the Student Union. Stay away from the area. Run, hide, fight.
Verify this quote
Fox 35 Orlando (verbatim ERAU push notification quoted in coverage)fox35orlando.comfind archived copies
Verbatim text of the initial ERAU push notification quoted in Fox 35 Orlando reporting on the February 17, 2026 lockdown
Followed by additional instructions stating 'No matter where you are on campus, you shelter in place' as quoted by ClickOrlando
The threat was called in at approximately 8:40 PM EST, with the caller stating they were five minutes away and planned to shoot up the campus
DEEP AUDIT correct 2026-08-02: fox35orlando.com and multi-outlet student-report quotes include trailing 'Run, hide, fight' that archive omits. Archive stops at 'Stay away from the area.' Correct to complete transmitted string.
UPDATEPush+1h 9m
Wording not yet recovered

A message was sent at this point in the sequence; its exact wording has not yet been recovered from the official record, so no text is shown. This site never paraphrases or reconstructs alert wording. Markers like this one keep the emergency's true shape and become word-for-word messages as recovery reaches the source.

ALL CLEARPush
Wording not yet recovered

A message was sent at this point in the sequence; its exact wording has not yet been recovered from the official record, so no text is shown. This site never paraphrases or reconstructs alert wording. Markers like this one keep the emergency's true shape and become word-for-word messages as recovery reaches the source.

Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude Opus 5 (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

Possible active threat reported in the Student Union. Stay away from the area. Run, hide, fight.

  • Sourceabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Absent, unanimously. No sender tag, institution name, or agency appears anywhere in the message.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No sender, agency, or branded signature is present in the text.
    2. absent: No institution, agency, or branded signature is present in the text.
    3. absent: No sender tag, institution name, or agency appears in the message.
    4. absent: No sender, agency, or branded signature appears in the text.
    5. absent: No sender, agency, or branded alert signature appears in the text.
    6. absent: No sender tag, institution, or agency is named in the message.
    7. absent: No sender brand, institution, or agency is identified in the text.
    8. absent: No sender, agency, or branded signature appears.
    9. absent: No sender, branded tag, or agency is identified in the short text.
    10. absent: No sender, institution, or agency is identified in the message text.
    11. absent: No sender, department, or branded tag appears in the short message.
    12. absent: No sender name or branded signature appears in the message.
    13. absent: No sender, agency, or branded signature is present in the text.
    14. absent: No sender name, agency, or branded alert tag appears.
    15. absent: No sending office, brand, or agency is named.
    16. absent: No sending office, agency, or branded tag appears in the text.
    17. absent: No sender, brand, institution, or agency is named in the message.
    18. absent: No sender, agency, or branded signature is present.
    19. absent: No sender name, agency, or alert branding appears.
    20. absent: No sending office, agency, or branded tag appears in the text.
    21. absent: No sender, agency, or branded signature appears in the text.
    22. absent: No sender tag, institution, or agency appears in the message.
    23. absent: No sender name, agency, or branded signature appears in the message.
    24. absent: The text carries no sender name, agency, or branded signature.
    25. absent: No sender, agency, or branded alert tag appears in the text.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously. A possible active threat is named explicitly as the hazard.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It reports a "Possible active threat", a specific threat type.
    2. present: It names a "Possible active threat reported", a specific threat type.
    3. present: It reports a "Possible active threat", a specifically named threat.
    4. present: It names a "Possible active threat", identifying a specific violent threat type.
    5. present: It names a possible active threat, a specific hazard.
    6. present: It names a "Possible active threat", a specific armed threat description.
    7. present: It names a "Possible active threat", which is specific enough to identify the danger.
    8. present: It reports a "Possible active threat".
    9. present: It reports a "Possible active threat", a specific violent threat.
    10. present: It reports a "Possible active threat", a specific named danger.
    11. present: "Possible active threat" names a threat specific enough to drive run, hide, fight.
    12. present: It reports a "Possible active threat", a specific violent threat type.
    13. present: "Possible active threat" plus run, hide, fight signals a specific violent threat.
    14. present: Names a "Possible active threat", a specific violent threat.
    15. present: A possible active threat is reported, a specific threat.
    16. present: It names a "Possible active threat", a specific hazard.
    17. present: It reports a "Possible active threat", a specific violent threat.
    18. present: It names a "Possible active threat", a specific danger.
    19. present: Names a "Possible active threat", a specific reported danger.
    20. present: It names a "Possible active threat", a specific violent hazard.
    21. present: It names a "Possible active threat", which identifies the danger type.
    22. present: "Possible active threat" names a specific violent hazard category.
    23. present: Names a "Possible active threat", a specific violent threat.
    24. present: It names a "Possible active threat", a specific threat type.
    25. present: "Possible active threat" combined with run hide fight names an armed threat.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously. The Student Union is named as the specific place involved.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It names "the Student Union".
    2. present: It places it "in the Student Union".
    3. present: It places the threat "in the Student Union".
    4. present: It places the report "in the Student Union".
    5. present: The Student Union is identified as the location.
    6. present: It locates the report "in the Student Union".
    7. present: It locates the report "in the Student Union".
    8. present: It names the Student Union.
    9. present: It names "the Student Union" as the location.
    10. present: It places the threat "in the Student Union".
    11. present: It locates the report "in the Student Union".
    12. present: It names "the Student Union".
    13. present: It names "the Student Union".
    14. present: Specifies "the Student Union".
    15. present: The Student Union is a specific building.
    16. present: It places it "in the Student Union".
    17. present: It locates the threat "in the Student Union".
    18. present: It places it "in the Student Union".
    19. present: Specifies "the Student Union".
    20. present: "the Student Union" is a specific building.
    21. present: The threat is located "in the Student Union".
    22. present: It locates the report "in the Student Union".
    23. present: Places it "in the Student Union".
    24. present: It locates it "in the Student Union".
    25. present: "in the Student Union" is a specific building.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Present, unanimously. Recipients are told to stay away from the area and given the Run, hide, fight instruction.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: It instructs "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    2. present: It says "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    3. present: It directs recipients to "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    4. present: It instructs "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    5. present: It says stay away from the area and run, hide, fight.
    6. present: It instructs "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    7. present: It tells recipients to "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    8. present: It says "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    9. present: It instructs people to "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    10. present: It says "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    11. present: It says "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    12. present: It tells recipients to "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    13. present: It instructs "Stay away from the area. Run, hide, fight."
    14. present: Instructs "Stay away from the area. Run, hide, fight."
    15. present: It tells recipients to stay away and to run, hide, fight.
    16. present: It says "Stay away from the area. Run, hide, fight.", clear protective actions.
    17. present: It tells recipients to "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    18. present: It says "Stay away from the area. Run, hide, fight."
    19. present: Tells recipients to "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    20. present: It says "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    21. present: It directs recipients to "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    22. present: It instructs "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    23. present: Directs recipients to "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    24. present: It says "Stay away from the area" and "Run, hide, fight".
    25. present: "Stay away from the area. Run, hide, fight." are protective actions.
  • Timeabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Absent, unanimously. No clock time, date, or word conveying recency is included.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word is given.
    2. absent: No clock time, date, or word conveying recency is included.
    3. absent: No clock time, date, or word such as "now" or "immediately" appears.
    4. absent: No clock time, date, or immediacy word such as "now" is present.
    5. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word such as now appears.
    6. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue is present.
    7. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word such as now appears.
    8. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears.
    9. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue such as now appears.
    10. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears.
    11. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word such as "now" is present.
    12. absent: No time, date, or recency wording is included.
    13. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears.
    14. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue is present.
    15. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears.
    16. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word is present.
    17. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears in the text.
    18. absent: No clock time or recency word appears.
    19. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word is present.
    20. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word such as now is included.
    21. absent: No clock time, date, or immediacy cue appears; "active" belongs to the hazard.
    22. absent: No clock time, date, or word like "now" is included.
    23. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word appears in the text.
    24. absent: No clock time, date, or recency word is present.
    25. absent: No clock time, date, or recency cue is present.
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Absent, unanimously. Nothing beyond naming the threat conveys consequence or severity.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No consequence or severity is stated.
    2. absent: No consequence or severity statement accompanies the threat.
    3. absent: No consequence or severity beyond naming the threat is stated.
    4. absent: No consequence or severity beyond naming the threat is conveyed.
    5. absent: No consequence or severity of the threat is stated.
    6. absent: No consequence or severity beyond the hazard's name is stated.
    7. absent: No consequence or severity statement is included.
    8. absent: No consequence or severity is stated.
    9. absent: No explicit consequence or severity statement is included.
    10. absent: No statement of what the threat could do or how severe it is.
    11. absent: No statement of potential harm or severity beyond naming the threat.
    12. absent: No consequence or severity is spelled out.
    13. absent: No stated consequence or severity beyond naming the threat.
    14. absent: No harm or severity is described.
    15. absent: No consequence or severity is stated.
    16. absent: No consequence or severity beyond the word threat is stated.
    17. absent: No consequence or severity of the threat is stated.
    18. absent: No consequence or severity of the threat is described.
    19. absent: No stated consequence or severity beyond naming the threat.
    20. absent: No statement of what the threat could do or how serious it is.
    21. absent: No potential harm or severity statement is offered.
    22. absent: No consequence or severity beyond naming the threat is stated.
    23. absent: No consequence or severity beyond naming the threat is given.
    24. absent: No description of potential harm or severity accompanies the threat.
    25. absent: No consequence or severity beyond the hazard name is stated.

Coded by Claude Opus 5

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

On the evening of February 17, 2026, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach campus received a phone call at 8:40 PM EST from a caller who stated they were five minutes away and planned to start shooting up the campus with an AK-47. The university issued a campus-wide shelter-in-place alert, and law enforcement conducted a building-by-building investigation beginning with the Mori Hosseini Student Union. The campus was cleared after approximately five hours, with no credible threat found. A second false threat the following afternoon around 3:30 PM EST prompted another evacuation but no lockdown. Some students expressed dissatisfaction with the university's communication during the incidents.
Analysis

Key Findings

The specific and immediate nature of the threat (five minutes away with an AK-47) required maximum emergency response
The five-hour lockdown extending past midnight created unique challenges for residential students
A second false threat the next day demonstrated how repeat hoaxes compound campus anxiety and strain resources
Outcome
No shooter or weapons were found. The campus was cleared by approximately 1:40 AM EST on February 18. A second false threat on February 18 at 3:30 PM EST caused another evacuation but no lockdown. The FBI assisted in the investigation.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. News
    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on lockdown after shooting threat (WFTV)
    wftv.com
    archived copy
  2. News
    Embry-Riddle University lockdown lifted after big scare (ClickOrlando)
    clickorlando.com
    archived copy
  3. News
    Embry-Riddle University lockdown lifted after no threat found on campus (Fox 35 Orlando)
    fox35orlando.com
    archived copy
  4. Student Paper
    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Faces Two Possible Active Shooter Threats (Her Campus)
    hercampus.com
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Phoned shooting threat prompts a five-hour lockdown; a second false threat followed." Incident of February 17, 2026. Added May 2026; last updated August 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/embry-riddle-aeronautical-university-swatting-2026-02-17/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
swattingshooting-threathoaxfloridadaytona-beachprivate-universitynighttime-lockdownrepeat-threatHoax
Added May 2026Updated August 2026Via ingestion