This image taken from footage by WPVI-TV/6ABC shows police responding to a reported active shooter at Villanova University on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Villanova, Pa. Read more WPVI-TV/6ABC via AP

by Robert Moran Updated Aug. 21, 2025, 6:47 p.m. ET | Published Aug. 21, 2025, 5:08 p.m. ET

The president of Villanova University on Thursdav evening said the report of an active shooter on campus was a “cruel hoax” and that no one was injured.

In a statement to the Villanova community, the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, the university’s president, said the report caused “panic and terror” as students and staff were celebrating Orientation Mass.

“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

See Full Page