This story was updated at 1:45 p.m. on Sept. 12.
CU Boulder Police lifted the evacuation order for three campus buildings Friday afternoon after investigating an unconfirmed bomb threat.
The evacuation began around noon, when police ordered Norlin Library, Ketchum Arts and Ramaley Biology to be cleared following a campus emergency alert. At 12:10 p.m., CU police said the threat was unconfirmed, and K-9 units began searching the buildings.
By 1:14 p.m., the university announced the all-clear for Ketchum and Ramaley, with afternoon classes resuming on schedule. Norlin Library was to remain closed for the rest of the day, though students could be escorted inside by CUPD officers to retrieve personal belongings. All other campus buildings and classes outside the affected area remained on schedule.
With recent and current events, the Office of Victim Assistance advocate counselors were available in the UMC, near the Book Store, until 4 p.m. Friday offering support to students and employees, CU Health and Wellness Services said. They could also be reached at 303-492-8855.
The evacuation added to a string of recent campus and school security scares in Boulder. On Aug. 25, Norlin Library was evacuated during a swatting incident, a hoax report of shots fired that prompted a three-hour lockdown and search. Just yesterday, Fairview High School and Southern Hills Middle School were locked down after a report of a man with a gun. Police later determined the individual was out for a run with a weighted vest and phone.
I hope to see some proposed legislation that addresses false reporting. Whatever the penalty currently is, it is not high enough to deter people from such harmful acts. If these acts were considered as some form of terrorism (given the current political environment) and carried appropriate consequences followed by a massive PSA campaign, I personally would not only contribute to the effort, I would be a passionate leader in driving it.