The false report of a gunman drew a large police response to the university’s campus northwest of Philadelphia, where freshmen and their parents were told to shelter in place.

© Matt Slocum/Associated Press

The report drew a large police response to the university’s campus northwest of Philadelphia, and students were told to shelter in place.

The report drew a large police response to the university’s campus northwest of Philadelphia, and students were told to shelter in place.

© Matt Slocum/Associated Press

The release of a man who had been serving a five-year sentence for assault is the second time the jail has released someone prematurely this year.

© Brandon Thibodeaux for The New York Times

While thousands of people are bitten by venomous snakes in the United States each year, deaths are uncommon, according to the authorities.

© Megan Varner/Getty Images