"Cruel Hoax": Villanova University President Confirms No Active Shooter On Campus

Initial Report of Campus Incident Turns Out to Be False, Shaking University Community on “Opening Day”

The active shooter situation that placed Villanova University on lockdown Thursday has been confirmed as a “cruel hoax,” according to a letter from University President Rev. Peter Donohue. The initial panic, which unfolded on the university’s “opening day,” was based on a false report.

“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 firearms present on campus,” Donohue wrote in a message to the university community.

The day’s events began with a “NOVA Alert” sent to students and employees, advising them to seek secure locations and barricade doors after a report of an active shooter at the Law School’