Police Respond to Active Shooter Report at Villanova University; Students Ordered to Shelter in Place

Police and emergency crews responded to Villanova University in Pennsylvania on Thursday afternoon after reports of an active shooter on campus.

According to Radnor Township Police, students and nearby residents were ordered to shelter in place as law enforcement converged on the university. Villanova officials urged people on campus to stay clear of Scarpa Hall, the law school building, move to secure locations, and lock or barricade doors.

Law enforcement sources said officers were conducting a full sweep of the law school for potential victims or suspects, though details about the incident remain unclear. Video from CNN affiliate WPVI showed heavily armed officers on rooftops and dozens of police and fire officials responding to the scene.

The timing of the incident comes as new student orientation and registration were underway at Villanova. Classes are scheduled to begin Monday. Students were notified about the report via email around 4:35 p.m. ET, as an opening mass was being held at Rowen Campus Green, followed by a planned family picnic.

Villanova, a private Catholic university in suburban Philadelphia, has an enrollment of roughly 10,000 students.

The incident follows a separate active-shooter alert earlier Thursday at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, which authorities later determined showed “no evidence of a threat.” That case is being investigated as a possible swatting incident.

The situation at Villanova remains fluid, and updates are expected as law enforcement continues to secure the campus.

Credit: CNN Newsource

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