The United States has recently seen a rise in the practice known as swatting on their college campuses where false emergency calls are made in order to elicit a major response from the police on various universities.

The notorious online group known as Purgatory has taken credit for these events.

This is a group that is known to participate in swatting in the past and communicates on a public channel on the messaging app “Telegram.”

Both the UCA Public Relations Department and the UCA police department have issued official statements on the matter.

“The University of Central Arkansas takes the safety and security of our students, faculty, staff and community with the utmost seriousness,” said Director of Media Relations at UCA Tiffany Head. “The university condemns these dangerous and criminal acts, which place unnecessary strain on emergency resources and can put lives at risk.”

When asked about Purgatory, Ms. Head had this to say, “While UCA has not confirmed any direct connection between our campus and this group, we want to be clear: these actions are criminal … False reports of emergencies not only create fear and anxiety, but they also divert critical public safety resources away from real emergencies where lives may be at risk. The safety and well-being of the UCA community will always remain our highest priority.”

In a similar statement, the UCA police decried the use of swatting. “These incidents are deeply disruptive, frightening for students, parents, and staff, and can divert valuable emergency resources from where they may truly be needed,” said Training and Public Relations Officer Sgt. Michael Hopper. “The UCA police department is aware of an online group calling itself ‘Purgatory’ that has claimed responsibility for some of these hoaxes. Please know: every call we receive is investigated thoroughly.”

When asked about what would happen if UCA was threatened by a shooter, Ms. Head said that “In the event of a swatting occurrence, our campus police, in coordination with local law enforcement, will respond swiftly with established safety protocols to ensure the well-being of everyone on campus.”

The UCA Police would not state what procedures would not discuss would not discuss operational details on what would occur if there had been a shooting threat. 

They did state, however, Sgt. Hopper did state that they would “keep our campus safe, strong, and resilient in the face of these attempts to disrupt our lives.”

On the UCA website, it states that “False reporting of an emergency such as false fire alarm and bomb threat” constitutes suspension or expulsion.

Some of Purgatory’s members have also moved their communications to a private channel on Telegram.

However, this is not the first time Purgatory has been linked to events similar to the recent swatting outbursts and they also have prices for swatting.

A number of swatting events in both Jan. and May of 2024 have been connected to the online group.

The events in May specifically lead to three members of the group being arrested and all pleading guilty for their participation.

Due to the fact that their internal group structure is unknown, it is difficult to communicate with or even verify many of the claims that Purgatory has made.