Villanova University and University of Chattanooga both suffer 'cruel' active shooter hoax

Two US universities have both suffered "cruel" active shooter hoaxes - on the same day.

Students were sent into lockdown at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - with footage showing them barricading the doors of classrooms. Villanova University, which is more than 700 miles away in Pennsylvania, experienced a similar situation hours later.

But both were deemed hoaxes by authorities and students were eventually given the all clear to return to usual activities. It was move-in day at Villanova University, which caters for around 10,000 students. Alarming videos posted to X showed frantic students and families running for their lives and toppling over chairs during an outdoor mass being held to welcome the new cohorts.

And students scrambled to shelter in Chattanooga, after an alert read: "Run. Hide. Fight. More info forthcoming." Many of the approximate 12,000 students there took shelter in lecture halls, until eventually this too was found to have been a false alarm.

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Speaking after the scare at Villanova, University President Reverend Peter Donohue said: "Today, as we are celebrating Orientation Mass to welcome our newest Villanovans and their families to our community, panic and terror ensued with the news of a possible shooter at the Law School.

"Mercifully, no one was injured, and we now know that it was a cruel hoax–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 happened on first day of new student orientation, a similar programme to freshers' week in the UK. Families were helping students move into halls when the alarm was sounded, and all on campus had to take shelter.

Speculation one person died was dismissed by university officials, but students had taken to social media to express their concern at the lockdown at Villanova University, from which Pope Leo XIV graduated with a mathematics degree in 1977.

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The situation also appeared at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where police stormed buildings and those on site had to barricade themselves in classrooms.

It was originally reported there was possibly an active shooter inside the library but, after a chilling and lengthy operation, the Chattanooga Police Department said: "The lockdown for city buildings has been lifted. All city facilities will return to normal operations. Follow for additional updates."

There were reports of casualties there too, however these also were found to be inaccurate upon investigation by the Mirror. The large university is best-known for its business and engineering courses.