Students at Villanova University received an active shooter alert and were warned to stay in secure locations late Thursday afternoon, but it was a hoax.

Students shared a text from the Villanova alert system that told them to lock and barricade doors and move to secure locations.

Villanova University students are being told by local police to shelter in place.

Students at Villanova University received an active shooter alert and were warned to stay in secure locations late Thursday afternoon, but it was a hoax.

A campus alert had been sent around 4:30 p.m. ET during an orientation Mass welcoming new students, who had recently moved in on Aug. 20.

False active shooter reports at Villanova and University of Tennessee cause panic, lockdowns, and investigations on campus.