Active shooter report at Villanova University in Pennsylvania a “cruel hoax”

A report of an active shooter at Villanova University in Pennsylvania on Thursday was a hoax, according to the university’s president.

Radnor Township police initially said on Thursday that officers were responding to the campus for a report of an active shooter, instructing students and residents to shelter in place. The university also issued an alert, telling students and faculty to lock and barricade doors.

Villanova University President Peter Donohue later told the community in an email that the incident was a “cruel hoax” that unfolded during Orientation Mass for new students. He said there was no evidence of a shooter, no firearms on campus, and no injuries.

“While that is a blessing and relief, I know today’s events have shaken our entire community,” Donohue said, thanking local police, campus security, and staff who responded.

Donohue apologized to first-year students and their families, saying, “This is not the introduction to Villanova that I had hoped for you.”

Videos posted on social media during the incident showed people hiding and running from the area of the university’s law school area. A heavy police presence was seen on campus shortly after the first reports.

Villanova University is a private Catholic institution located in Radnor Township, about 15 miles northwest of downtown Philadelphia.

shooting during villanova university first year student mass pic.twitter.com/qNEi8pq9uG

— Liam Zieg (@liamzieg) August 21, 2025