The false report of a gunman drew a large police response to the university’s campus northwest of Philadelphia, where freshmen and their parents were told to shelter in place.

Gov. Josh Shapiro's office posted on Facebook that Pennsylvania State Police and federal law enforcement were on site at Villanova and responding to the active shooter reports. "Avoid the area and follow the direction of local law enforcement. We will share additional information as it becomes available," the governor wrote.

A report of a shooter on Villanova University’s campus was a “cruel hoax,” the school’s president said Thursday.