Police investigate ‘hoax’ bomb threat at College of Wooster

Bryce Buyakie, The Daily Record
·1 min read
Andrews Library was identified as one possible location targeted in a bomb threat at the College of Wooster. The threat was determined to be a hoax.
Andrews Library was identified as one possible location targeted in a bomb threat at the College of Wooster. The threat was determined to be a hoax.

WOOSTER – The College of Wooster evacuated two campus buildings Friday afternoon after a false bomb complaint was reported, said Wooster Patrol Sgt. Clint Bartolic.

The caller claimed to have found a backpack with a timer in it on campus but did not list a specific location, he said.

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“Based on the call, we narrowed it down to two buildings,” Bartolic said.

Andrews Library and the Lowry Center were identified as possible locations, he said.

All staff and construction workers were evacuated. The buildings remained empty as of late Friday afternoon.

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No evidence of a backpack or any explosives were discovered, he said, after multiple walkthroughs by Wooster and campus police.

“We determined the call was unfounded,” Bartolic said.

Similar calls have been received at other colleges, universities

Police discovered after the walkthroughs that other colleges and universities around the nation received false bomb reports in the last 24 hours.

Other incidents included Cleveland State University, OSU-Marion and campuses in Louisiana and Texas.

”We believe it was a hoax and the caller was not from the area,” Bartolic said. “They pronounced Beall Avenue wrong and gave a false name claiming they worked at the college.”

Lowry Center was one of two building Wooster police and College of Wooster police searched Friday when a bomb threat, which was determined to be fake, was made via a telephone call.
Lowry Center was one of two building Wooster police and College of Wooster police searched Friday when a bomb threat, which was determined to be fake, was made via a telephone call.

The college told police no one by the caller’s name was on staff, he said.

Campus police will continue to investigate the incident, keeping Wooster police updated on the situation, Bartolic said.

Reach Bryce by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com

On Twitter: @Bryce_Buyakie

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Bomb reported at the College of Wooster could be a hoax, police say