STUDENTS at Villanova University are sheltering in place after reports of an active shooter on campus.
People on the campus were told to lock and barricade their doors after an alert went out at 4:30 pm on Thursday.
The Radnor Police Department confirmed there’s an active shooter situation at the school.
“ACTIVE SHOOTER on VU campus. Move to secure location. Lock/barricade doors. More info to follow,” the alert said.
The message was sent out to all students and faculty on campus.
Just before 5 pm, officials sent another alert telling students to avoid Scarpa Hall.
An alert read, “ACTIVE SHOOTER Incident Warning: Police are responding on scene. Move to a secure location and lock or barricade doors. Additional information will follow. Avoid the Law School Scarpa Hall.”
Scarpa Hall is the university’s law school. It’s a hub for students with a library and classrooms inside.
Students on social media are saying the chaos broke out during the first-year student mass at the private Catholic university.
Horrifying video from the scene showed chairs scattered on a campus lawn as people ran to safety on campus.
Law school students were pictured at an orientation picnic less than an hour before the alerts were sent out, according to the school’s post on X.
A picture taken on campus showed glass shattered in a door or window of a school building.
Heavily armed cops were seen running to the scene.
Police vehicles were seen gathering on campus in the afternoon.
No more details have been made available, and it’s unclear if anyone is hurt.
It comes after 1,800 first-year students arrived at campus for move-in day on Wednesday.
Crowds of new students and their parents swarmed the school to set up their dorms.
Parents were set to leave the campus on Thursday, according to ABC affiliate WPVI-TV.
Villanova University’s campus is 260 acres in the suburbs west of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
It’s located about 12 miles from Center City Philadelphia.
