A bomb threat that prompted evacuations at Edgar Shannon and Clemons Libraries March 13 marks the second hoax threat at the University this academic year, as similar false reports continue to affect campuses nationwide. The incident came just one day after a deadly shooting at Old Dominion University that heightened concerns about campus safety across Virginia.
Over 50 universities across the country have faced false reports of active attackers or other forms of violence in this academic year alone, prompting campus-wide lockdowns and widespread fear among students.
Many of these incidents are commonly referred to as “swatting,” in which false reports — often of active attackers or bombs — are made to prompt large-scale emergency responses from law enforcement. According to Campus Safety Magazine, many U.S. colleges have experienced similar swatting incidents this academic year, affecting more than one million students and costing institutions around $62 million in emergency response efforts…