The active shooter situation that saw dozens of law enforcement officials responding to an alert from Villanova University was later deemed a hoax, according to officials.
Police responded after Villanova University issued a warning for an active shooter on its Pennsylvania campus on Thursday. The school told students to stay clear of Law School Scarpa Hall. The campus is located approximately 12 miles northwest of Philadelphia’s Center City.
According a post by the Radnor Township Police Department on its Facebook page, all nearby residents and students were asked to shelter in place, with those on campus asked to move to a secure location and to lock or barricade doors, the university posted on its website. The Radnor Police Department later shared on social media that no victims had yet been reported.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro later said local and federal law enforcement are on site responding to the reports of an active shooter, posting on X: “Avoid the area and follow the direction of local authorities. We will share additional information as it becomes available.”
In a letter to students and families, Peter M. Donohue, president of Villanova University, said the incident was a hoax, writing in part: “Today, as we are celebrating Orientation Mass to welcome our newest Villanovans and their families to our community, panic and terror ensued with the news of a possible shooter at the Law School. Mercifully, no one was injured, and we now know that it was a cruel hoax—there was no active shooter, no injuries and no evidence of firearms present on campus. While that is a blessing and relief, I know today’s events have shaken our entire community I would like to thank everyone involved in securing the safety of our community, especially our Villanova Public Safety … department and the first responders from Radnor Police and other local police departments. I would also like to thank our Orientation Counselors and all of the Villanova staff in attendance at the Orientation Mass, who responded calmly and compassionately to a very frightening and unnerving situation … Amid my thanks, I would like to apologize to our first-year students and their families. This is not the introduction to Villanova that I had hoped for you.”
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