An active shooter scare at Villanova University during orientation week turned out to be a “cruel hoax,” the school confirmed in a letter to its community.
Just before 5 p.m., police in Radnor Township, where the university is located, announced they were responding to an active shooter report on campus. Officials urged students and residents nearby to shelter in place, lock doors, and barricade themselves if possible.
The alert sent first-year students, who were on campus for orientation, running in panic.
By around 6 p.m., Villanova president Peter Donohue reassured students in a letter that the situation was a false alarm, calling it a “cruel hoax,” according to the Associated Press, as well as local outlets 6ABC and NBC 10.
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“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,” Donohue wrote. “While that is a blessing and relief, I know today’s events have shaken our entire community.”
The university is in the process of welcoming its newest students this week, with classes scheduled to begin Monday, per the Associated Press.
“I would like to apologize to our first-year students and their families,” Donohue added. “This is not the introduction to Villanova that I had hoped for you.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
