FBI investigating active shooter hoax calls targeting Georgia colleges

article

Police say reports of an active shooter at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga last week were a hoax. (Courtesy of WTVC)

MACON, Ga. - The FBI's Atlanta field office says that it is joining an investigation into a rash of hoax active shooter calls targeting colleges across the country.

Authorities say schools in Macon have had to go on lockdown three times this week due to fake threats.

MORE: University of South Carolina issues all clear after unconfirmed active shooter report

What we know:

On Monday alone, law enforcement responded to calls claiming active shooters at Arkansas, Northern Arizona University, Iowa State, Kansas State, the University of Colorado-Boulder and the University of New Hampshire. More calls were made Tuesday at the University of Kentucky and West Virginia University.

In Georgia, Central Georgia Technical College and Rutland High School were advised to shelter in place following active shooter reports. Both of those cases were later found to be hoaxes.

On Wednesday, Mercer College's Macon campus became one of the latest victims of the false reports, sending out a shelter in place alert before police determined that there was no active threat on campus. Bibb County deputies say it is possible all the recent incidents are related.

MORE: Lockdown at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga lifted, no threat found

Authorities say most of the cases involved multiple calls about an active shooter or shooting, and at least four included the sound of gunshots in the background.

A wave of threats three years ago was believed to have come from outside the country, the FBI said at the time. The agency provided few details about the recent campus threats, including whether they are coordinated.

What they're saying:

In a release, the FBI Atlanta said that the agency was aware of recent swatting incidents in Georgia and was working with local law enforcement partners.

"Knowingly providing false information to emergency service agencies about a possible threat to life drains law enforcement resources, costs thousands of dollars, and, most importantly, puts innocent people at risk," the agency wrote. "We work closely with our law enforcement partners to determine their credibility, share information, and take appropriate investigative action."

The agency is asking members of the public to immediately report anything suspicious to law enforcement.

Dig deeper:

The worry is that hoaxes will create complacency on campuses where active shooter alerts and drills have become a regular part of life.

"We live in tornado alley where people go hear a tornado warning and go outside to look," said Mya Norman, a chemistry instructor at Arkansas who hid trembling under her desk as the Fayetteville campus remained on lockdown earlier this week. "So it does concern me that we could end up with that kind of an effect."

Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, said campus officials face a "delicate balance" in keeping students and teachers on guard, but not panicking about any real threats in the future.

For many, he said, panic lingers weeks and even months after the hoaxes.