Evacuate campus :: Go to http://t.co/2Fn2LCJJ5Q for information and action plan. Evacuate campus due to a bomb threat. More info coming
— Midwestern State (@MidwesternState) December 8, 2014
Campus officials issued an order to evacuate campus this morning after what was called a “credible threat” was sent through an email to a campus staff member.
Officials initially said they planned to open campus in time for 1 p.m. finals, but opened the campus up earlier, around 12:17 p.m.
Campus police chief Dan Williams said he was made aware of an email sent to a campus staff member around 9:30 a.m. Monday morning, Dec. 8.
Williams said University President Jesse Rogers made the call to evacuate campus because the threat came in so late compared to last year’s shooting hoax.
A 10:07 a.m. update said, “MSU Police are sweeping the campus. Officials hope to have campus open this afternoon. Please follow the guideline for evacuation found the at the MSU Police Department webpage.”
“This one came at a more relative time to when school’s going on. We don’t have as much time to check the information,” Williams said. “With the last one we had 10 hours to at least play with it and kind of investigate and see where we were at. This one was more of an immediate [threat] so the president decided to make that call.”
Eddie Salcido, computer science freshman, said he went to the mall because he knew people there.
“I knew people here so I came up here. I didn’t get an alert. I had no idea what was going on,” Salcido said. “I didn’t think of the wellness center and I didn’t think it was ideal to study”
While afternoon finals are scheduled to continue as normal, some morning finals were rescheduled, ruining some students’ holiday plans.
“I was gonna go home today and now my final has been rescheduled and I’m pissed. Driving back is inconvenient,” Victoria Estrada, mathematics freshman, said.
Kabba Koroma, pre-pharamacy junior, just woke up and heard about alert. “I’m looking.” But he said he’s taking it seriously.
Adaobi Ezeodum, management junior, “I thought it was nothing. But I think it’s a lot more than I thought it was.”
Finesc Smith, nursing freshman, “Somebody just doesn’t want to take their finals.”
Reporting by Courtney Gilder, Ethan Metcalf, Lauren Roberts and Eddie Miller.