Villanova University: Complete Details of the Active Shooting Hoax

Liputan6.com, Jakarta A report of an active shooter that sparked panic on the Villanova University campus on Thursday, August 21, 2025, has been confirmed as a “violent hoax” by the university president and the local district attorney.

According to AP News, although initial reports caused chaos and fear across campus, no active shooter was found and no injuries were reported.

The incident occurred as the university was celebrating Orientation Mass to welcome new students and their families.

Authorities and police at various levels immediately responded to the emergency call, deploying significant resources to secure the area.

However, after a thorough investigation, it was revealed that the report was a hoax.

"Active shooter" report at Villanova University in Pennsylvania was a "cruel hoax," school president says.It follows a hoax at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga earlier today. pic.twitter.com/NuWZThHf2Y

— BNO News Live (@BNODesk) August 21, 2025

The incident began around 4:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, August 21, 2025, when the Villanova University Department of Public Safety received an anonymous report claiming an active shooter at the Charles Widger School of Law.

At Villanova, where freshman orientation is underway and classes are set to begin next week, a call came in reporting a man with an AR-15-style weapon, Delaware County spokesman Michael Connolly said in a statement.

There were also "several" calls with sounds of gunfire in the background, and about 30 minutes after the first call, someone called to report a gunshot wound.

Furthermore, 911 calls were received with similar claims, stating a shooter in the law school building and at least one injured victim.

About 30 minutes after the initial call, someone called again to report a gunshot wound, increasing the level of urgency and panic.

In response to the report, Villanova's alert system immediately sent a text message to all students.

The message instructed them to lock and barricade their doors and immediately move to a safe location, in accordance with emergency procedures.

A second alert from Villanova officials was also issued, specifically warning people to stay away from the law school grounds.

Police from across Delaware County, the Pennsylvania State Police, and federal law enforcement immediately responded to the situation.

They searched buildings and secured the area, until Radnor Township Police announced around 5:45 p.m. that no injuries were reported.

The shelter-in-place order on campus was finally lifted at 6:32 p.m.

In response to an active shooter report, armed officers swarmed Villanova University during the first day of freshman orientation. The shooting scare turned out to be a "cruel hoax," the school said, and no one was injured. @AaronKatersky reports. https://t.co/CI1QElvVEC pic.twitter.com/6tF43xlSLP

— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) August 22, 2025

Villanova University President, Rev. Peter M. Donohue, in a statement to the school community, confirmed that there was no active shooter and no one was injured.

He emphatically called the incident a “cruel hoax” that has shaken the entire campus community.

“Today, as we are celebrating Orientation Mass to welcome our newest Villanovans and their families to our community, panic and terror ensued,” the Rev. Peter M. Donohue said in a statement.

“Mercifully, no one was injured and we now know it was a cruel hoax.”

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also spoke out, calling the situation a “vicious swatting incident” and directing the Pennsylvania State Police to conduct a thorough investigation.

Ironically, a similar incident occurred that same day at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, which was also confirmed to be a hoax.