The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Wednesday that anti-extremism researchers said they've identified the group claiming to be responsible for last week's hoax active-shooter call at Villanova University and other similar calls.
Members of the nonprofit Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) told The Inquirer they believe a group called "Purgatory" is behind the calls. Purgatory is part of an online threat network called "The Com" that, according to GPAHE, exists at the "intersection of extremism, cybercrime, child abuse, and violence."
The Inquirer stated that it reviewed screenshots and audio files from Purgatory groups on popular voice and text chat apps Discord and Telegram that show members making and discussing the hoax calls. It also reviewed a screenshot showing Purgatory was behind a hoax shooting call to the King of Prussia mall mere hours before the call to Villanova.
Groups such as Purgatory have been linked to swatting, which is the practice of calling in false reports of an emergency to law enforcement to provoke an aggressive police response and cause either physical or mental harm to the person or institution targeted.
Villanova has not been the only school to experience swatting recently. According to The Inquirer, at least six schools received swatting calls the day of the Villanova report, and several colleges in the south received fake reports the next day.
Villanova also received another "unfounded" call on Sunday that led to Radnor Police sweeping the campus yet again.
Wendy Via, GPAHE's president and cofounder, said her nonprofit identified a specific Purgatory member under the alias "Gores" who sent messages on Telegram and Discord talking about his success at swatting Villanova and other schools, including Bucknell University.
The hoax call last week prompted police from local and state departments to flock to Villanova's campus, leading to a two-hour long lockdown. On Discord and Telegram, Purgatory members watched the situation develop in real time.
Earlier that day, the Upper Merion Township Police Department received a report of an active shooter at the King of Prussia Mall. A detective sergeant told The Inquirer that they were able to quickly confirm the lack of a threat.
