Villanova University’s president said a fake report of an active shooter forced students to hide on the first day of orientation. The false alarm caused a huge response from local and federal police, but no one was hurt and no weapons were found.
The alert went out around 4:35 p.m. ET during an opening mass that was to be followed by a family picnic. The message read:
“ACTIVE SHOOTER on VU campus. Move to secure location. Lock/barricade doors. More info to follow.”
The anonymous report claimed there was a shooter in the law school and that someone was wounded. This created panic and fear across campus, the president, Peter M. Donohue, said.
Police and fire crews quickly rushed to the law school, even placing officers on the roof, while they searched for a shooter or victims.
None were found.
In a letter to students, Donohue called it a “cruel hoax” and said while everyone is relieved it was false, the event was very upsetting for the community. He apologized to new students and their families, saying:
“This is not the introduction to Villanova that I had hoped for you.”
Authorities are working to charge the person behind the incident
New student orientation and registration started Thursday and will continue until Saturday, with classes beginning Monday, according to the school calendar.
Other orientation events for the day were canceled but were expected to continue Friday, school officials said.
The report of a shooter came just hours after the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sent out an active-shooter alert, putting the campus on lockdown. Later, police confirmed there was “no evidence of a threat.” Officials believe the Tennessee incident may have been a case of swatting, CNN reported.
Swatting is a dangerous prank where someone makes a false police report to trick officers into thinking a serious crime, like a mass shooting or bombing, is happening. This often leads to a heavy police or SWAT team response, since officers cannot know the call is fake.
The FBI has been tracking swatting for almost 20 years. It gained attention when celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, Justin Bieber, and Kim Kardashian were targeted. In 2008, the FBI found that many swatters did it for attention and bragging rights, not money.
Over time, motives have grown to include personal grudges, disrupting schools or businesses, distracting police from real crimes, and even making money. Many recent hoaxes have come from outside the U.S., making it harder to catch those responsible.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said he has ordered state police to “use every tool possible” to find whoever caused the swatting incident.
“Today was every parent’s worst nightmare and every student’s biggest fear,” Shapiro wrote on X. “I’m deeply thankful no one was hurt, and I appreciate the police and law enforcement officers who rushed toward danger to protect people in Pennsylvania.”
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer agreed with Shapiro, saying:
“My office, the Investigation Division, and the FBI will work together to find out who did this. We will track you down, no matter what it takes.”
Villanova is a private Catholic university near Philadelphia and is also the alma mater of Pope Leo XIV.
Published: 22nd August 2025
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