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The FBI considers swatting an increasing national problem. Aside
from diverting resources, such calls can cost thousands of
dollars per incident, endanger first responders and the public
and can lead to federal charges.
In the latest case, police on Sunday swept the Akron Zoo in
northeast Ohio after a threat led to the evacuation of visitors.
Authorities gave the all-clear, but zoo managers opted to close
for the rest of the day.
Just hours later, police were seen stationed outside the
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo as visitors were evacuated due to a
threat there. Some visitors took to social media, expressing
anger that they had to leave.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in central Ohio was evacuated on
Saturday. Zoo president and CEO Tom Schmid told television
station WCMH that due to similar threats at other zoos,
employees had a safety drill last week and an exercise Saturday
morning that helped prepare them for the emergency evacuation.
“This is part of life now around the country, around the world,”
Schmid said, noting the uptick in such threats. “And so we have
to make sure we’re vigilant.”
Threats also have been called in to zoos in Kentucky, Tennessee,
Florida and Arizona.
Last year, dozens of hoax calls to college campuses across the
U.S. resulted in classes being canceled, campuses being locked
down and in some cases students hiding under desks only to find
out later that they were the victims of swatting.
Last week, federal prosecutors announced charges against a
juvenile following a series of swatting calls aimed at
universities and other institutions in Pennsylvania and
elsewhere in August 2025. According to prosecutors, the
defendant identified as a member of the cybercriminal group
“Purgatory.”
The FBI has logged thousands of swatting incidents since
creating a national database in 2023. Targets have included
schools, public institutions and celebrities.
“Swatting is sometimes conducted as an act of revenge or a
prank. It is a serious crime that has potentially dangerous
consequences," the agency said in a statement Sunday. "Law
enforcement personnel have been wounded responding to swatting
incidents, and victims have been treated for injuries such as
heart attacks as a result of such events.”
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