Iowa State University police credit training and cameras to debunk false active shooter reports
By KCCI News Staff
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AMES, Iowa (KCCI) — Iowa State University police quickly identified false reports of an active shooter on campus on Monday, but the investigation into the source of the calls is expected to be more complex.
The campus police chief, Michael Newton, said Ames police received two calls on their administrative line yesterday, falsely reporting suspicious activity. The first call at 9:01 a.m. claimed a person was carrying a rifle near Friley Residence Hall, and the second call at 9:07 a.m. reported an active shooter near Parks Library.
“Generally, if there’s an active situation, you’re getting a multitude of 911 calls. Instead, we get two calls on an administrative line. You know, things just weren’t adding up,” Newton said. He confirmed the reports were fake within minutes, noting discrepancies in the caller’s details. “The caller gave some details that weren’t matching up. They told us where they were located, well, we happen to have a camera right above where they said they were located, and we weren’t seeing. We also called into the library, and they’re like, ‘Yeah, there’s nothing happening here.'”
While technology aids in quickly identifying false alarms, cybersecurity experts like Doug Jacobson highlight its role in complicating the tracking of perpetrators.
“The internet. You can pretend to be anywhere, and you can craft a message, craft a phone call to look like it comes from anywhere. So the internet has really enabled the ability to have these calls be untraceable,” Jacobson said.
Kyle Bassett, the Special Agent in charge of the Governor’s School Safety Bureau, noted an increase in swatting calls and software that disguises the caller’s identity.
“People will call in and their voices are masked in order to avoid law enforcement detection. And then there’s also software being used that masks the IP address, right, to make it not as easily traceable,” Bassett said.
Newton acknowledged the challenge in identifying the caller but expressed confidence in his team’s ability to pursue the investigation thoroughly.
“They’re going to work this all the way through. They’re going to find every lead. They’re going to work with our federal partners,” he said.
Iowa State police are collaborating with other universities nationwide that also received fake active shooter calls on Monday.
“Let’s work together. Let’s hold this person accountable, especially if our cases are related,” Newton said.
Campus police informed KCCI that they cannot release the audio of the calls as they are part of the ongoing investigation.
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