VILLANOVA, Penn. — Villanova University has given the all-clear after a threat of violence against an academic building forced the campus to close Thursday.
The university sent a NOVA alert to students around 7:20 a.m. alerting them of the closure. Students were advised to stay in their residence halls, but the campus was deemed safe around 11 a.m., allowing students to go outside. Certain buildings, including the main dining halls, library, and student health center, reopened for residential students. Students who commute to school and faculty and staff were told not to come to campus.
University officials said there will be an increased Villanova Public Safety presence on campus. The FBI is supporting local law enforcement agencies in investigating the threat.
3 Threats Made Against Villanova University This Academic Year
Officials said they closed the campus out of an abundance of caution as this is the third time a threat has been made against the school this academic year. In Aug. 2025, two false reports of an active shooter were called into the university.
The first incident unfolded around 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 21 when the campus community received an emergency notification: “ACTIVE SHOOTER on VU campus. Move to secure location. Lock/barricade doors. More info to follow,” Campus Safety previously reported. The initial call was followed by several calls to emergency services, some featuring gunshot-like sounds in the background. A call was then received at 5:06 p.m. reporting that an individual had been shot. It was later determined to be a “cruel hoax,” according to university officials.
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Three days later, the school received another active shooter call that was also determined to be a hoax. Students were told to shelter in place until law enforcement was able to clear the scene. It was later determined that the call originated from an on-campus residence hall.
Some students were gathering at St. Thomas of Villanova Church when the alert was issued. For many freshman, it was their first day on campus, according to ABC 6.
“I still feel safe, but it’s really unsettling,” said freshman Kate Baxendale. “Like, the first night we’re sleeping here. It was a little scary.”
Threats Made Against NYU, Wiley University, Fordham University
Villanova was one of at least four universities that received threats on Thursday, NBC reports. NYPD provided increased security at New York University after the school received emailed bomb threats against two campus residence halls. Access was restricted at the two halls during sweeps by authorities.
The email threats included offensive language toward LGBTQ+, Black, and Asian communities. They also contained Islamophobic, antisemitic, and anti-Jesuit messages.
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According to an email from Fordham University’s associate vice president of Public Safety Robert Fitzer, the New York school also received “threatening emails containing similar language.” He also said there would be heightened security on campus, including the presence of NYPD officers.
Wiley University, an HBCU in Marshall, Texas, also closed Thursday due to an emailed threat of violence, according to News Messenger. The lockdown was lifted several hours later after Marshall Police determined the threat was not credible.
It remains unclear if the threats are connected.
