Villanova University receives another false active shooter call: police

VILLANOVA, Pa., (WPVI) -- There was another false active shooter call made to Villanova University on Sunday, according to Radnor Township Police.

Villanova University told students and staff to shelter in place at around 11 a.m. Sunday, after receiving reports of an active shooter.

The call came out of Austin Hall, a student residence hall.

Some students were gathering at St. Thomas of Villanova Church when the security alert was issued.

After a thorough sweep of the area, authorities issued an "all clear," confirming the report was a hoax.

Freshmen who were inside the church during the incident described the experience as unsettling.

"It was such a special Mass too," said Nora Lesizza, a freshman. "And just to get it ruined by someone like that, it's just, it's awful."

Jack Gabrone, also a freshman, said, "First time on campus. It's a little scary, but yeah, I hope you find this guy. It's not cool at all, and it's not setting a good example for students."

"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."

Villanova released the following statement after the all clear was given:

"The University was aware of a report concerning Austin Hall earlier this morning. The report was determined to be baseless, and Villanova Police have given the all clear. Normal operations have resumed."

It was the second time in four days that Villanova had been targeted in what authorities described as a "swatting incident," a fake report intended to prompt a large law enforcement response. On Thursday, Villanova University received a report of a possible shooter at its law school, but the report was later determined to be a hoax after university officials issued an alert warning of an active shooter on campus.

RELATED: Active shooter alert at Villanova was result of 'cruel hoax,' university president says

Thursday's incident, which came as the school was celebrating its orientation mass to welcome new students, caused "panic and terror" to ensue on campus, Villanova President Rev. Peter Donohue said in a statement to the school community.

The incident caused a large-scale response from local and federal police as officers in tactical gear conducted a sweep of the law school's Scarpa Hall as students and faculty were ordered to shelter in place.

"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," Donohue said in a statement to the school community following Thursday's incident. "While that is a blessing and a relief, I know today's events have shaken our entire community."

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said his office and the FBI are investigating Thursday's incident, adding, "We're going to work to try to get to the bottom of who might have done this." There was no immediate response from Stollsteimer's office following Sunday's incident.

After Thursday's incident, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro noted that swatting is illegal and said that he had directed Pennsylvania State Police to "use every tool at our disposal to find the person or people who called in this fake threat and hold them accountable."

RELATED: Villanova University hoax caller sought by FBI, local authorities

Radnor Police Superintendent Christopher Flanagan urged the community to move forward.

"We have to move past it," Flanagan said. "The Villanova campus is moving on and we have nothing but high expectations for a safe and exciting school year in our Radnor community and Villanova campus."

There was also unconfirmed reports of an active shooter at the University of South Carolina on Sunday.

University of South Carolina spokesperson Jeff Stensland said there were two minor injuries related to the evacuation of the library building.

"There have been false gunfire reports at universities across the country in recent days and tonight's incident remains under investigation," the school said in a statement.

Another unfounded active shooter scare occurred earlier Thursday at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga.

Around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, a 911 call came in "indicating that there was an active shooter" at the campus, the school said. State, county and federal agencies responded and members of the school community were advised to "Run. Hide. Fight."

After several areas of the campus were cleared, there was no evidence of any shooting or injuries reported, the university said.

The Chattanooga incident is also under investigation by multiple agencies, including the FBI, the school said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation.

Authorities continue to investigate the source of the false reports.

ABC News contributed to this report.