By Fatma Zehra Solmaz
ISTANBUL (AA) - US-based Villanova University said Thursday that reports of an active shooter on its Pennsylvania campus were “a cruel hoax” after it issued an alert warning.
Students were told to stay away from Law School Scarpa Hall and lock and barricade doors while police conducted searches.
The Radnor Township Police Department said earlier on social media that they "are on location at Villanova University for a report of an active shooter. All nearby residents and students are asked to SHELTER IN PLACE at this time."
The university later released a statement, however, saying the news was false.
"There was no active shooter, no injuries and no evidence of firearms present on campus. While that is a blessing and relief, I know today's events have shaken
our entire community," it said.
The university earlier sent a message that said: “ACTIVE SHOOTER on VU campus. Move to secure location. Lock/barricade doors. More info to follow.”
By 5.30 pm local time (2130GMT), a police source said there were no known injuries, while officials said further information was not immediately available.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro wrote on social media that "the reports of an active shooter at Villanova today are unfounded, and products of a cruel swatting incident — when someone calls in a fake threat to induce panic. Swatting is illegal. I've directed @PAStatePolice to work alongside their partners and use every tool at our disposal to find the person or people who called in this fake threat and hold them accountable."
The school’s website says today marks new student orientation at the private Catholic university in Villanova, Pennsylvania.