A Catholic college in the US has been hit by a ‘hoax’ report of an active shooter. SWAT teams cleared buildings at Villanova campus in Pennsylvania after a reported ‘hoax.’
Police cleared buildings at Villanova University in Pennsylvania on Thursday after receiving a report of an active shooter. SWAT teams arrived at Villanova, a private Catholic university in a suburb of Philadelphia, in the afternoon. Students and nearby residents were instructed to shelter in place, while those on campus were told to lock or barricade doors.
Videos posted on social media show people leaving the area in panic, while multiple students said they had barricaded themselves inside rooms. Jay O’Brien, a local news anchor, tweeted that it was orientation day at Villanova, and now SWAT was clearing campus buildings and students were sheltering in place after an active shooter alert.
The incident appears to be the second case of a swatting prank against a US college this week. On Tuesday, a shooting was falsely reported at Doane University in Nebraska, prompting a lockdown and police response. Villanova President Peter Donohue later called the report of a shooter a ‘cruel hoax.’ He said there was no active shooter, no injuries, and no evidence of firearms on campus.