Villanova University placed its suburban Philadelphia campus on lockdown on 21 Aug. after a 4:30 p.m. 911 call claimed an active shooter had opened fire inside Scarpa Hall at the law school. The alert system warned students to barricade doors and seek secure locations, and regional transit briefly bypassed Villanova Station as heavily armed local, state and federal officers swept the grounds. Roughly 90 minutes later, Villanova President Rev. Peter Donohue said the alarm had been a “cruel hoax,” confirming there was no gunman, no evidence of gunfire and no injuries. The false report disrupted an outdoor orientation mass for first-year students and forced the university to cancel remaining welcome-week events. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called the incident an illegal “swatting” and directed state police and the FBI to track down those responsible. Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said investigators are reviewing the emergency calls and will pursue charges once the caller is identified. Earlier the same afternoon, a similar unfounded shooter report triggered a short lockdown at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Authorities there also found no evidence of violence. Law-enforcement officials say such swatting episodes are rising nationally, straining police resources and traumatizing campus communities.