Villanova Campus Shaken by False Active Shooter Alert
Earlier this week, Villanova University experienced a scare that left students, faculty, and families on edge, though it was later confirmed as a “cruel hoax.” On Thursday, August 21, 2025, at around 4:30 p.m., the university’s community received an urgent alert warning of an active shooter on campus. Students were immediately instructed to lock and barricade doors, and social media quickly filled with videos of people rushing into buildings, trying to find safety.
The alert claimed there was a shooter at the Charles Widger School of Law and suggested that at least one person had been injured. Campus police, along with hundreds of local and federal law enforcement officers, responded swiftly, clearing buildings room by room and searching for potential victims. Armed officers were seen on rooftops, and emergency vehicles were stationed across campus. The tension and uncertainty left many students and staff shaken. First-year law student Kyle Mezrow recalled the surreal adrenaline of the moment as officers moved them out of their building, while freshman Jack Connolly described sheltering in his dorm as “kinda scary,” with his father waiting anxiously outside.
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By 6 p.m., after a thorough sweep of the campus revealed no shooter, no injuries, and no weapons, university officials confirmed that the alert was a hoax. President Rev. Peter Donohue described it as a “cruel hoax” in a letter to the community, expressing relief that no one was harmed but acknowledging the fear and disruption the incident caused. He offered an apology to first-year students and their families, noting that this was certainly not the introduction to Villanova that anyone had hoped for.
Authorities, including the Delaware County District Attorney and the FBI, immediately began investigating the incident as a possible swatting case. Swatting involves making false reports of violent emergencies, intentionally drawing police and SWAT teams to a location under the pretense of a serious threat. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro emphasized that state police would use every tool available to identify and hold the responsible party accountable, describing the day as “every parent’s worst nightmare and every student’s biggest fear.”
The university’s Public Safety team, local police, and campus staff were praised for their swift and compassionate response, helping to keep the community safe during the scare. Classes and orientation events were temporarily paused, though authorities stressed the importance of resuming normal operations once the campus was secured. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the growing threat posed by hoaxes like swatting and the crucial role of coordinated emergency responses in protecting students.
Villanova University, a private Catholic institution near Philadelphia, now looks to move forward while law enforcement works to track down the individual responsible for this alarming false report. The community is left grateful that no lives were endangered, yet reminded of how quickly fear can ripple through a campus in the digital age.
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