False reports of active shooters at Villanova University in Pennsylvania and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Thursday caused fear, confusion, and temporary lockdowns just as students were returning for the new academic year.
Villanova: Lockdown During Orientation Mass
At around 4:30 p.m., a 911 caller reported an active shooter inside Villanova’s law school, claiming at least one person had been shot. Within minutes, students and staff received urgent alerts on their phones:
“ACTIVE SHOOTER on VU campus. Move to secure location. Lock/barricade doors.”
The campus went into lockdown as police searched buildings, bracing for the worst. Some officers on the scene even suggested they believed an attacker might be inside.
Hours later, the university confirmed there was no threat. Villanova’s president, the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, condemned the hoax in a statement, saying:
“Today, as we are celebrating Orientation Mass to welcome our newest Villanovans and their families, panic and terror ensued. Mercifully, no one was injured, and we now know it was a cruel hoax.”
The false alarm rattled many families dropping off freshmen. Courtenay Harris Bond, who had been walking near the law school with her husband and son, described the experience as unsettling:
“Really tough way to start freshman year at college,” she said after being cleared to leave a bookstore where they had taken shelter.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro later called the incident “every parent’s nightmare and every student’s biggest fear.” He vowed that state police would use “all tools available to find the person or people who called in this fake threat and hold them accountable.”
University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga: Afternoon Lockdown
Just hours earlier and 600 miles away, students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga were also ordered to shelter in place after a separate false report of gunfire. Around 12:30 p.m., students received alarming messages warning of a “possible active shooter in the University Center or Library. Run. Hide. Fight. More info forthcoming.”
Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, quickly swarmed the campus alongside fire and emergency crews. Within an hour, officials confirmed there was no evidence of a threat and lifted the lockdown.
A Disturbing Trend Of False Threats
Both incidents highlight the growing danger of hoax emergency calls, which create real panic and divert massive law enforcement resources. At Villanova, the scare unfolded just days before classes begin, casting a shadow over what should have been a celebratory moment for new students.
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