The University of Villanova said that a report of a possible shooter in its Law Faculty was a “cruel deception”, after issuing a warning of warning of an active shooter on its Pennsylvania campus on Thursday.
“Fortunately, no one was injured, and now we know that it was a cruel hoax, there was no active shooter, no injuries or evidence of firearms present on the campus,” said Villanova president, Reverend Peter Donohue, in a statement to the school community. “While that is a blessing and a relief, I know that today’s events have shaken our entire community.”
In this screenshot of a video, the officials responsible for enforcing the law are shown in the scene of a shooting at the University of Villanova, on August 21, 2025.
WPVI
The incident caused a great police response, with the governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, saying that local and federal forces were responding to the reports of an active shooter.
The school had issued an active alert of shooters, telling students to stay away from Scarpa Hall Hall Hall and locking and barricade doors while the police carried out sweeps from the campus.
Later it was updated to inform that the incident was resolved, saying: “The campus is clear. It no longer needs to take refuge in its place.”
In this screenshot of a video, the officials responsible for enforcing the law are shown in the scene of a shooting at the University of Villanova, on August 21, 2025.
WPVI
Delaware County District Prosecutor Jack Stollsteimer said his office and FBI will investigate.
“We are all going to work to try to get to the bottom of who could have done this,” he said during a press conference on Thursday night.
Shapiro said that Swatting is illegal, and that he has ordered the Pensylvania State Police to “use all the tools at our disposal to find the person or people who called this false threat and take responsibility for them.”
“I know that today was the nightmare of all parents, and the greatest fear of each student,” he said in a statement about X. “I am deeply grateful that no one has been injured, and grateful to all police members who ran towards danger reports to keep the Pennsilvanians safe.”
In this screenshot of a video, the officials responsible for enforcing the law are shown in the scene of a shooting at the University of Villanova, on August 21, 2025.
WPVI
Police received a call around 4:30 pm on Thursday saying that there was an active shooter in the Building of the Faculty of Law, and at least one victim was injured, according to Stollsteimer.
“That has turned out not to be true,” he said. “There was never an active shooter on campus.”
The police department of the municipality of Radnor, who responded to the campus, said there were no reported victims since the police continued to clear the buildings.
The campus is located approximately 12 miles northwest of the central city of Philadelphia.
This is a development story. Consult the updates again.
