[UPDATED] University President Rev. Peter Donohue says Villanova active shooter was a “cruel hoax”

Turns out the active shooter situation on Villanova University campus was nothing more than a sinister hoax.

Email from University President Reverend Peter M Donohue:

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

What should’ve been a normal move-in day at Villanova turned into absolute chaos Thursday afternoon after the university issued an active shooter alert on campus. Students were told to shelter in place and stay clear of Scarpa Hall, the law school, while Radnor Township Police and other local authorities swarmed the scene.

Villanova currently on lockdown after Active Shooter Reports during move-in day

BREAKING: Villanova University has issued a warning for an active shooter on its Pennsylvania campus.

The school told students to stay clear of Law School Scarpa Hall. https://t.co/o5rSDL3Fjy pic.twitter.com/clxPHWv6de

— ABC News (@ABC) August 21, 2025

Villanova currently on lockdown after Active Shooter Reports during move-in day

shooting during villanova university first year student mass pic.twitter.com/qNEi8pq9uG

— Liam Zieg (@liamzieg) August 21, 2025

The official campus alert read: “Police on scene. Move to secure location. Lock/barricade doors. More info to follow.”

Not exactly the “welcome to college life” message parents had in mind.

Panic During Orientation

Reports and social media footage show students running out of events, including a first-year student mass where chairs were overturned as people bolted for exits. This is day one of orientation week, with families and new students flooding campus, so if you want to talk about timing for maximum panic, this was it.

What We Know So Far

• The incident began around 4:30 PM Thursday.
• No confirmed injuries have been reported as of now.
• Police were still clearing the area into the evening, with shelter-in-place orders in effect.
• Governor Josh Shapiro even weighed in on X, confirming both local and federal law enforcement were on site.

🚨BREAKING: Active shooter at Villanova University in Pennsylvania campus, at least one person shot and injured. pic.twitter.com/jnIrMRMxul

— AJ Huber (@Huberton) August 21, 2025

These kinds of situations always shine a light on security and preparedness. Move-in week is already one of the most chaotic times on any college campus, with thousands of students and families crammed into small areas.

If shots were indeed fired inside Scarpa Hall, it underscores just how quickly an orientation event can spiral into something else entirely.

NEW: Active shooter reported at Villanova University during the school’s first-year student mass, according to the New York Post.

Students were told to lock and barricade doors.

"Radnor police dispatch have confirmed an active shooter situation on Villanova University's… pic.twitter.com/QzdlqoNfVp

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 21, 2025

Details are still thin.

Ongoing police sweeps and the lack of confirmed injuries makes this feel like one of those situations where we’ll need to wait and see what really went down.

Villanova is just 12 miles outside Center City Philadelphia, so this isn’t some far-off story. For locals, parents, and anyone who’s ever walked those campus halls, it’s a reminder that these “alerts” aren’t just things you scroll past on Twitter. Students are locked in dorm rooms right now, texting their families and refreshing their phones for updates.

We’ll update this as more comes out.

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