Campus Alert Archive
NAU

Caller Named 'Jacob' Reports Rifle in Cline Library: NAU Evacuates First Day of Classes After Purgatory-Linked Hoax

AZswattingemergency 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 25, 2025, NAU Police received a 911 call just before 9:30 AM MST from a person identifying himself as 'Jacob' who claimed a man with a rifle was inside Cline Library, with fake gunshot sounds in the background. The NAU SAFE alert system notified students at 9:26 AM on their first day of fall classes, and the library was evacuated and cleared by 11:36 AM.

Alerts
5
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Northern Arizona University
Public R2 · AZ
~29,000 studentsNAU Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

5 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

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 reconstruction198 chars
NAU SAFE Alert: Report of a person with a gun at Cline Library on Knoles Drive. NAUPD is evacuating and searching the building. Do not approach Cline Library. Follow directions from law enforcement.

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

Reconstructed from KNAU and Arizona's Family coverage; the NAU SAFE alert was sent at 9:26 AM
The initial alert noted the incident could be a 'hoax incident' but that NAUPD was taking precautions
The 911 caller identified himself as Jacob and reported a man with a rifle in Cline Library, with fake gunshot sounds audible in the background
UPDATESMS
Approximate reconstruction185 chars
NAU SAFE Update: NAUPD, Flagstaff Police Department and Coconino County Sheriff's Office are responding. Please follow their directions to calmly evacuate. Avoid the Cline Library area.

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

Reconstructed from KNAU coverage of the alert timeline; the update at 9:41 AM confirmed multi-agency response
Flagstaff PD and Coconino County deputies joined NAUPD and federal agents in the response
UPDATESMS
Approximate reconstruction155 chars
NAU SAFE Update: Law enforcement has finished clearing the main area of Cline Library. The search continues in other areas. Continue to avoid the building.

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

Reconstructed from KNAU timeline of events; the main area was cleared by 10:29 AM, about an hour after the initial alert
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction212 chars
NAU SAFE: All clear. The report of a person with a gun at Cline Library has been determined to be a hoax. There is no threat to the NAU community. Cline Library is reopening. Campus operations continue as normal.

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

Reconstructed from NAU's official statement and Arizona Daily Sun coverage; the all-clear came at approximately 11:36 AM, over two hours after the initial alert
NAU confirmed at 11:44 AM via email that the report was 'determined to be a hoax'
The FBI was assisting in the investigation into the false report
FOLLOW-UPTwitter/X
Verified verbatimNorthern Arizona University (@NAU) posting the campus update verbatim on X255 chars
🔔 Campus Update 🔔 Earlier today, the NAU Police Department received a report of a person with a gun at Cline Library on the Flagstaff mountain campus. The report was determined to be a hoax, and at no time was there an active threat to the NAU community
NAU's official @NAU X account posted this campus update later in the afternoon, framing the morning's events for the broader public
The bell emojis bracketing 'Campus Update' are part of the verbatim post — they served as visual flags for the official update format
This message added the key factual claim 'at no time was there an active threat' that the earlier emergency alerts did not include
Context

Background

On August 25, 2025, the first day of fall classes at Northern Arizona University, the NAUPD received a 911 call just before 9:30 AM from a person who identified himself as 'Jacob' and claimed a man with a rifle was inside Cline Library on the Flagstaff Mountain Campus. Fake gunshot sounds were audible in the background of the call, a hallmark of the Purgatory swatting group's tactics. The NAU SAFE alert system notified students at 9:26 AM, and the library was evacuated as NAUPD, Flagstaff Police, Coconino County Sheriff's deputies, and federal agents swarmed the campus. Students on their way to morning classes were redirected as officers cleared the building floor by floor. The main area was cleared by 10:29 AM, and the full all-clear was issued at approximately 11:36 AM. NAU confirmed the report was a hoax and stated there was never an active threat to the campus community. The incident was part of a coordinated wave of swatting attacks on the same day targeting Iowa State, Kansas State, the University of Arkansas, CU Boulder, and the University of New Hampshire.
Analysis

Key Findings

The 911 caller used a fake name ('Jacob') and included prerecorded gunshot audio, consistent with the Purgatory swatting group's documented methods
NAU's initial alert notably warned the incident could be a hoax while still directing evacuation, reflecting growing institutional awareness of the swatting trend
The over-two-hour disruption on the first day of classes affected thousands of students beginning their fall semester
Outcome
No armed person, shots, or injuries were found. The 911 call was determined to be a hoax. The FBI assisted in the investigation. Cline Library reopened by noon.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Reports of gunman at NAU library determined to be hoax (Arizona's Family)
    azfamily.com
  2. News
    NAU building evacuated after reports of person with a gun (KNAU Public Radio)
    knau.org
  3. News
    911 call from NAU shooting hoax mimics fear, has gunshot sounds (Arizona's Family)
    azfamily.com
  4. News
    NAU responds to report of gun on Flagstaff campus (Arizona Daily Sun)
    azdailysun.com
Tags
swattingactive-shooter-hoaxpurgatorylibrarycline-libraryarizonafirst-day-of-classessimulated-gunfirepublic-universityHoax
Added April 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion