Charges filed in USC swatting hoax
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– USC announces that charges have been filed in connection with the USC swatting hoax that took place last Summer.
(Courtesy: University of South Carolina)
According to school officials, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pennsylvania announced charges against a juvenile believed responsible for a series of swatting hoaxes last summer, including at the University of South Carolina’s Columbia campus.
The juvenile is a self-identified member of the cybercriminal group “Purgatory” who selected USC and other institutions at random, according to a news release from the U.S Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The teen has no known connection to USC.
On August 24, 2025, USC police received two separate calls reporting an active shooter at the Thomas Cooper Library.
Both calls were initiated by an unknown male and included background noise that mimicked gunfire, says university officials.
The calls then led to a Carolina Alert message and multiple public safety agencies responded.
Buildings in the area were locked and students were escorted to safety once no threat was detected by law enforcement.
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