Law enforcement sources told NBC10's Doug Shimell the FBI is investigating threats against Villanova University students. The male caller allegedly claimed he was going to harm the students.
An email is sent out to students and employees at Villanova University saying that someone has made threatening calls against the school. Investigators say the threats don t appear to be credible, but the university says they are taking the situation seriously. NBC10 s Tim Furlong has reaction from students on campus.
The FBI and local police are investigating threats made against the well-being of Villanova students. An email alert went out Monday warning students, staff, and faculty about recent threats made against the university. Law enforcement sources confirm to NBC10 that authorities have been investigating threatening phone calls made against the school over the past several days. NBC10's Claudia Rivero talked to Villanova students who are now on edge.
Law enforcement sources tell NBC10 the FBI and local police departments are investigating threats against Villanova University students.
Radnor Township Police reports several calls have been made over the course of several days. The male caller allegedly claimed he was going to harm students on the college campus.
After NBC10 began to investigate further, Villanova Vice President Ann E. Diebold sent the following email to students, faculty and staff on Monday:
I wanted you to know about a report that may appear in the local media regarding Villanova. The University was informed by the Radnor Township Police Department that it received vague telephone threats concerning the University and that similar calls appear to have been placed by the same individual to other organizations throughout the country.
The University has been in on-going contact with law enforcement, which does not believe these calls are credible. Nonetheless, the University is very appreciative that law enforcement is taking this matter seriously. Both the Radnor police and the FBI are actively investigating, with the full cooperation of the University’s Department of Public Safety. The University remains open and no classes or activities have been cancelled.
As always, your safety is our highest priority. Radnor police officers and Villanova’s Public Safety officers remain vigilant to any suspicious circumstances. If there were ever to be credible information that the University community was at risk, we would not hesitate to take immediate and decisive action. Please be assured that the University has systems, protocols and procedures in place to ensure the safety of our campus.
As always, we ask that you remain attentive to your surroundings and report any unusual circumstances to Public Safety at 9-4444.
"I hope that they're doing everything in their power to make sure that any real threat is being taken care of," said Villanova student Joseph Stevenson.
"I want to know what's going on," said Villanova student Danielle Ferri. "After everything with the Colorado shooting, I'm just a little nervous."
Investigators also say the phone threats may be coming from a man in California who is known to police for allegedly making similar threats in the past. Law enforcement sources tell NBC10 that while they take the threats seriously, they don't believe they are credible. The sources also say several other colleges around the country have received similar threats to harm students.
Officials at Villanova University told NBC10 they could not comment on the investigation beyond the email they sent to students.
