PHILADELPHIA (OSV News) — An active shooter at Villanova University reported late afternoon Aug. 21 was a “cruel hoax,” a university official said less than two hours after the initial scare that led to a campus lockdown. “There was no active shooter, no injuries and no evidence of firearms present on campus,” said Villanova University president and Augustinian Father Peter M. Donohue in a statement obtained by OSV News. A post on X showed students running from an outdoor Mass on the university’s Rowen Campus Green near Austin Hall as faculty, students and their family members received an alert of an active shooter on campus. Amid the active shooter alert, some 15-20 people took shelter in the main building of the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova, which is located across the street from the campus. Villanova University also posted an alert on its website, stating, “The campus is all clear.