Approximately 700 people were evacuated from campus buildings Wednesday after authorities received notice of a bomb threat to Kyle Field, said Lt. Allan Baron of the University Police Department.
Baron said the threat was written on a wall of a non-academic building with what appeared to be chalk. A University employee discovered the words There I a Bomb at Kyle and reported it.
Baron said after information was relayed to authorities, officers were immediately dispatched to verify the information after receiving the tip at 10:50 a.m.
Evacuated buildings included Kyle Field, Read Building, G. Rollie White Coliseum, Netum A. Steed and the Bright Football Complex.
We immediately began to secure and search that facility as well as [those that] adjoin it, Baron said.
He said it was debated whether the threat warranted a Code Maroon message, but did to reduce confusion and misinformation that was circulating around campus.
Baron said surrounding buildings were evacuated because the threat was specific to Kyle Field, contrary to the general bomb threat in October that caused the evacuation of the entire campus.
Bomb dogs from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were called in to assist with the search.
After a thorough search, no bomb was found and authorities gave the all clear at 7:08 p.m.
Charley Clark, associate vice president of University Risk and Compliance, said whether phoned in, emailed, scribbled on a piece of paper, or in Wednesdays case, written on a wall, all threats are considered equally significant.
Baron also said any bomb threat regardless of how it is received should be taken seriously.
Its important for the community as well, when they get [Code Maroon] messages, to read them and follow the instructions or directions that are given on those messages, so they cannot only keep themselves safe but also to send those messages on to other people that may not have received it, Baron said.
Code Maroon began the process of disseminating emergency messages at about 12:30 p.m.
Baron said after any threat or emergency that causes any type of evacuation, the department will conduct after-action reports.
That is where we will actually take an in-depth look at our response and what we can do to improve our services and our response in case we have a similar incident like this in the future, Baron said.