Police respond to active shooter alert at US university (VIDEOS)
SWAT teams cleared buildings at Villanova campus in Pennsylvania after a reported “hoax”
Police cleared buildings at Villanova University in Pennsylvania on Thursday after receiving a report of an active shooter.
SWAT teams arrived at Villanova, a private Catholic university in a suburb of Philadelphia, in the afternoon.
Students and nearby residents were instructed to shelter in place, while those on campus were told to lock or barricade doors.
Videos posted on social media show people leaving the area in panic, while multiple students said they had barricaded themselves inside rooms.
It’s orientation day at Villanova.
— Jay O'Brien (@jayobtv) August 21, 2025
Now, SWAT is clearing campus buildings and students are sheltering in place after an active shooter alert.
Video via @6abc pic.twitter.com/NRrkrPxRaw
Videos posted on social media showed people fleeing the area in panic, while multiple students said they had barricaded themselves inside rooms.
Ah nothing more American than an active shooter during first week of school….scene at Villanova today during first year student mass pic.twitter.com/TkNXwPYGVx
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) August 21, 2025
Villanova President Peter Donohue later called the report of a shooter a “cruel hoax.”
“There was no active shooter, no injuries, and no evidence of firearms on campus,” he said in an emailed statement to the media.
The incident appears to be the second case of a swatting prank against a US college this week. On Tuesday, a shooting was falsely reported at Doane University in Nebraska, prompting a lockdown and police response.