Villanova University has assured students that its campus is safe, following a threat of violence made against one of its academic buildings earlier in the day. The university initially closed due to the threat but later reported no immediate danger after receiving further information.
In a move aimed at protecting student safety, Villanova canceled classes and activities for the rest of the day, while keeping only certain facilities such as the student health center, library, Connelly Center, and three main dining halls open. An increased police presence will remain in place throughout the day.
The FBI and local law enforcement authorities are investigating the threat, which is believed to be part of a larger trend of "swatting" incidents - a type of online harassment where threats are made against individuals or institutions through fake emergency calls. Villanova officials did not disclose any other universities that received similar threats but confirmed multiple institutions were affected.
This marks the latest incident in a long line of threats at Villanova, which has previously seen its campus shut down due to reports of an active shooter. Last August, law enforcement officials determined that a threat made during the university's orientation mass was a "cruel hoax" and not an actual credible threat.
The anti-extremism group behind a report on swatting incidents suggested that the perpetrators were likely an underground cybercrime group. As the investigation into the latest threat continues, Villanova University is providing updates to students and staff about its safety protocols in place.
In a move aimed at protecting student safety, Villanova canceled classes and activities for the rest of the day, while keeping only certain facilities such as the student health center, library, Connelly Center, and three main dining halls open. An increased police presence will remain in place throughout the day.
The FBI and local law enforcement authorities are investigating the threat, which is believed to be part of a larger trend of "swatting" incidents - a type of online harassment where threats are made against individuals or institutions through fake emergency calls. Villanova officials did not disclose any other universities that received similar threats but confirmed multiple institutions were affected.
This marks the latest incident in a long line of threats at Villanova, which has previously seen its campus shut down due to reports of an active shooter. Last August, law enforcement officials determined that a threat made during the university's orientation mass was a "cruel hoax" and not an actual credible threat.
The anti-extremism group behind a report on swatting incidents suggested that the perpetrators were likely an underground cybercrime group. As the investigation into the latest threat continues, Villanova University is providing updates to students and staff about its safety protocols in place.
villanova's gotta do something to protect their students but at the same time you feel bad for the people behind it, they must be pretty desperate 
i mean some ppl think its funny or whatever but its not cool when ur threatening real ppl or ur own uni 
can't we just have a peaceful online life for once? 
anyway kudos to villanova's safety team for keeping the students safe, that's what matters most 
They're just a bunch of cowards hiding behind their screens, making life hell for innocent people. I'm all for taking threats seriously, but at the same time, it's crazy how easily these kids can get universities to lock down entire campuses over a baseless threat. What's next? Are we gonna start canceling classes because someone on Twitter says so? 
It's just so frustrating when people think they can just game the system like that... Villanova should be working with law enforcement to identify these cybercrime groups and take them down, not coddling their feelings by providing updates about safety protocols. Come on!
. And yeah, I'm sure there are some genuine concerns out there, but this kind of thing makes me wonder how we're supposed to take these threats seriously when they're just some random internet prank 
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It's terrifying.
and i feel for all the universities that are getting hit by this - villanova's safety protocols seem sensible but at what cost to their students' freedom 
. I hope the investigation leads to some real answers and justice for those affected 
! I mean, can you imagine how stressful it must've been for everyone when they received that initial threat? But the fact that they took swift action and kept students safe is totally awesome 
. It's just another example of how law enforcement and authorities are on top of these threats - the FBI and local police are working super hard to get to the bottom of this 
. And hey, it's not like Villanova didn't have protocols in place for emergencies... they're all about looking out for each other there 
. I'm sure students and staff are just grateful for that!
. cant imagine being in their shoes, wondering if you'll be okay after hearing a false emergency call 
. lets keep our fingers crossed that everything gets resolved soon 
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. We need better laws and regulations in place to hold these cybercrime groups accountable, and we need to invest more in education and awareness programs so people know how to spot a swatting threat from a mile away 
. It's time for us to take this stuff seriously and start making some real changes 
, hope the investigation catches whoever did it, gotta stay vigilant online and offline 
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. Whatever the reason, I'm just saying... let's see what the investigation turns up before we start jumping to conclusions 
. hope the fbi and local authorities catch whoever did it 
. anyway, just glad no one was hurt or worse 
It's just so... online. And it's crazy that multiple universities are being targeted like this. You'd think we're living in some kind of cyber thriller movie or something 
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