Police respond urgently to Villanova shooting hoax, as revealed by scanner communications during the incident.

On Thursday afternoon, law enforcement agencies responded rapidly to Villanova University near Philadelphia following a report of an active shooter. This alarming incident, which was later confirmed to be a hoax, prompted a chaotic response as police scrambled to locate a non-existent threat and misidentified a victim of a reported gunshot wound that had not occurred.

At approximately 4:32 p.m., police officers broadcasted an urgent alert regarding a potential assailant armed with an automatic rifle on the Catholic university campus. The specifics surrounding the origin of this information remain unclear, yet this led to an intense manhunt across the suburban university grounds.

Officers were soon on the scene, searching for a described suspect—a white male approximately six feet tall—near John F. Scarpa Hall, the law school located at Villanova. The urgency of the situation was underscored by police radio communications that emphasized the active shooter scenario unfolding at the university.

The campus, which was hosting students for an orientation session, became the center of panic as police vehicles flooded the area. Footage shared on various social media platforms illustrated the chaos, depicting overturned furniture, shouts of alarm, and students seeking refuge in response to the police influx.

By 4:37 p.m., law enforcement officers believed they had cornered the suspect within the university’s law library. Officers reported seeing a potential suspect from outside the building, leading to a heavy police presence, including SWAT teams, which established a perimeter around the law school.

However, upon entering the premises, law enforcement found no evidence of a shooter. Thorough searches revealed an empty law library, cafeteria, and multiple classrooms, with officers detailing that the area was “clear” of any threats.

Despite confirming the absence of gunfire inside the building, conflicting reports emerged concerning a potential gunshot wound victim. Officers indicated that they had encountered an individual who reportedly sustained a gunshot wound, though subsequent investigations revealed a lack of credible evidence supporting this claim.

As tensions escalated, Radnor Township police updated the public on social media that the search for an armed assailant continued. Approximately 45 minutes later, authorities announced that there were no actual victims linked to the incident.

The university lifted its shelter-in-place order around 6 p.m., subsequently clarifying that the initial report of an active shooter was an instance of “swatting”—a malicious act where an individual falsely reports a critical emergency to provoke panic and mobilize law enforcement resources.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro responded by directing state police to join the investigation, as authorities aimed to hold accountable those responsible for this alarming incident. The series of events underscores the challenges law enforcement faces in swiftly addressing active threats while navigating the complications associated with malicious misinformation.