‘Cruel hoax’ at Villanova after false active shooter report forces campus lockdown

VILLANOVA, Pa. — A report of a shooter on Villanova University’s campus was a “cruel hoax,” the school’s president said Thursday.

“There was no active shooter, no injuries and no evidence of firearms on campus,” the Rev. Peter M. Donohue said in an emailed statement.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

VILLANOVA, Pa. — Police responded Thursday to a report of an active shooter on the campus of Villanova University, prompting a lockdown on campus that sent students scrambling to seek shelter in closets and classrooms.

Students shared an afternoon text from the Villanova alert system that told them to lock and barricade doors and move to secure locations. A second alert from Villanova officials warned people to stay away from the law school.

Radnor Township