Villanova University faced its second false emergency in four days on Sunday, when a report of a threat involving a weapon prompted a heavy police response to the Main Line campus.
Radnor Township police said they were called to Austin Hall dormitory around 10:20 a.m. after receiving a report of an unspecified weapon. Officers evacuated and searched the building, clearing the scene within an hour after finding no evidence of a crime. The incident occurred one day before students were scheduled to return to classes.
The university alerted students to the situation with a message describing the threat as “believed to be baseless.” Later in the afternoon, Villanova’s president reassured students and staff that the report was unfounded but emphasized that the school will continue to err on the side of caution.
The scare followed a separate hoax on Thursday, when a false report of an active shooter at Scarpa Hall, home of Villanova’s law school, sent the campus into lockdown during orientation activities. That incident, part of a nationwide rise in “swatting” calls, triggered a massive law enforcement response and left parents and students shaken. Federal, state, and local agencies are investigating that first call, but officials have not determined whether the two false alarms are connected.
Swatting calls — in which a fabricated emergency prompts a large police response — have surged across the country in recent years, often fueled by online chatter and new technology that can generate realistic sounds or disguise a caller’s identity. Law enforcement officials warn that such incidents create dangerous situations because responding officers must assume the threat is real.
Villanova officials said the campus will maintain an increased police presence while investigations continue. Authorities have not disclosed the origin of either call or confirmed whether artificial intelligence tools were used.
Source: Phila. Inquirer