January 17, 2023
To parents and guardians of Yale College students,
Last night, Yale and New Haven police officers were in Bingham Hall last night after receiving calls that claimed that students could be in danger. The calls turned out to be a false report, also known as “swatting,” and no students were or are in danger.
YPD Chief Anthony Campbell wrote this morning to the Yale community with an account of last night; his message follows, below. Even if students were not on the Old Campus or near Bingham, I know that Chief Campbell's report could be deeply unsettling, even as I am very grateful that everyone is safe.
I am also very grateful to the public safety team for its prompt and professional response, particularly given that the caller also targeted officers themselves, singling out Black officers especially. And although the YPD has not determined any immediate threats to our campus, as Chief Campbell reports, these incidents are the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Investigative Services Division of the YPD, the NHPD, and partners at the FBI.
I have written to students myself telling them that if they would like to talk with someone about last night, they can always to turn to the heads and deans of their colleges, their first-year counselors, the office of mental health and counseling, the YC3 team, or any of the chaplains in the chaplain's office; they are all here to support our students.
As students return to campus and their studies, I hope to reassure you that their safety and wellbeing are Yale College's highest priority.
Sincerely,
Pericles Lewis
Dean of Yale College
Douglas Tracy Smith Professor of Comparative Literature
Professor of English
January 17, 2023
To the Yale Community,
We write to update you about a swatting incident (false report) made to Yale Police Department.
At 12:16 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, Yale Police Department (YPD) received a call from an unknown male stating he had seriously harmed a female student and that she may be deceased. The caller said he possessed a knife and hunting rifle and intended to harm others. He said that if officers tried to enter his location, he would shoot them. He told the dispatcher that he was near Bingham Hall.
Yale Police were immediately dispatched to and set up a perimeter around Old Campus. At 12:34 a.m., the caller told a YPD officer that he was in a dorm room in Bingham. Dispatch pinged the phone to determine its location but was unsuccessful and concluded it was a burner phone.
YPD coordinated with the Office of Emergency Management and put a "shelter in place alert" out to all students. YPD, with the assistance of the New Haven Police Department, inspected and cleared entryways A, B, C, and D of Bingham Hall. The basement and bathrooms were also inspected and cleared. No signs of suspicious activity were found.
During this time, a Yale police officer was in telephone contact with the caller every 10 to 15 minutes. The caller was aware of the Bingham Hall floorplan and claimed there was a bomb in a bathroom. YPD and NHPD bomb squads cleared bathrooms on all floors and stairwells, as well as any of the open doors for all four entryways. The caller used numerous racial slurs directed at Black police officers and stated that he would harm the officer he was speaking to if he found out he was Black.
Yale dispatch and the Yale security reviewed card swipes and video to gain information about the incident. At about 2:45 a.m., the caller told the YPD officer that he would begin shooting in eight minutes. An armed officer was positioned on each of the floors in Bingham Hall. The caller provided conflicting information, which led police to believe it was a "swatting" or prank call.
Out of an abundance of caution, police continued to investigate this as a real threat to ensure the safety of the Yale community. At 3 a.m., police determined that there was no validity to the threats and gave an “all clear” alert and updated the community that the investigation was continuing but that there was no immediate threat.
Immediately after giving the “all clear,” someone who is believed to be a different caller from the same phone number reported a shirtless white male running with a wooden rifle in the Harkness hallways. YPD dispatched officers but found no suspicious activity.
These incidents are the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Investigative Services Division of the YPD, the NHPD, and partners at the FBI. Furthermore, the YPD has not determined any immediate threat(s) to our campus at this moment.
YPD officers and their partners did an excellent and thorough job. I extend my gratitude to New Haven Police, state, and federal responders who moved quickly to ensure the safety of the Yale community and to our students and other community members who cooperated fully throughout the incident.
Click here to view the incident's location.
If you have any information regarding this incident, please call the Yale Police at 203-432-4400 or send an anonymous text tip through our LiveSafe app.
For more crime prevention and safety tips please visit the Stay Safe on Campus page on It's Your Yale.
The Yale Police provide services and information for crime victims which can be accessed by calling 203-432-4400.
Sincerely,
Anthony Campbell
Chief of Police