ITHACA, N.Y. (WETM) – UPDATE 7:34 p.m.: Law enforcement has concluded the search for a bomb threat at Cornell University. After investigation, they found the threats to not be credible.
Cornell tweeted it is now safe to resume all normal activities.
Vice President of University Relations, Joel Malina, released the following statement:
Dear Cornell Community,
Just before 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon, Tompkins County 911 received an anonymous call from an individual claiming to be in one of our academic buildings with automatic weapons, and that explosives had been placed in several other academic buildings. Cornell University Police Department (CUPD) immediately began investigating and issuing real-time alerts to urge students, faculty, staff, visitors, and community members to evacuate central campus and avoid the area.
We are relieved to report that this threat appears to have been a hoax. A cruel hoax; but, thankfully, just a hoax. The University has now resumed its normal operations.
CUPD was assisted throughout the incident by the Ithaca Police Department, the Tompkins County Sherriff’s Office, Cortland Police Department, SUNY Cortland Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New York State Police. We greatly appreciate all police and staff members, as well as Cornell Emergency Services personnel, the Ithaca Fire Department and Bang’s Ambulance, who responded to this potential crisis.
As Cornell investigated this threat, we learned that several other universities around the country experienced similar hoaxes. Cornell will work closely with local, state, and federal investigators pursuing links among these threats of campus violence.
Situations like these are frightening and stressful. We urge all students, faculty and staff to utilize campus resources if you would like to talk about today’s events. We are also mindful of the worry experienced by the extended campus community of parents and friends, as well as by our neighbors throughout the greater Ithaca community. We thank everyone for keeping calm and heeding warnings during this challenging and uncertain situation.
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Police and SWAT units are responding to a bomb threat at multiple buildings on Cornell University’s Ithaca campus.
The University tweeted its first alert around 2 p.m. telling people to avoid the areas of the arts quad and Goldwin Smith Hall. The university later expanded its alert to include the Law School, Upson Hall, and Kennedy Hall.
A statement from the University’s Twitter reads, “Police received a call of bombs being placed in the Law School, Goldwin Smith, Upson Hall and Kennedy Hall.”
Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick says Ithaca Police Department’s SWAT unit is responding and that those in the area should monitor campus alerts.
Wells College, about 25 miles north of Cornell, says they are monitoring the situation but have not received any threats directed towards the Wells College community in Aurora.
Cornell released another statement as of 5:30 p.m., stating, “Police Investigation of bomb threat ongoing, building sweeps are in progress. Please continue to avoid central campus.”
Cornell is not the only university that has received bomb threats. Columbia, Brown, and Yale have all recieved threats either today or on Friday, with Columbia’s threats happening around the same time as Cornell’s.
On Sunday, November 7, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Columbia University Public Safety issued a campus-wide emergency alert after receiving bomb threats involving several University buildings, similar to threats that have been made at other colleges around the country in recent days. The University proceeded with an immediate evacuation of the buildings identified in the threat. Following an investigation, the threats were deemed not credible by the NYPD and the campus buildings have been cleared for occupancy. We thank those individuals affected for their patience and cooperation in evacuating.
Columbia University in a statement released Sunday afternoon.
This is an ongoing situation and more updates will be provided as they become available.
