On the cold, second day of the semester, Tuesday January 12, Capital University received a bomb threat to its main Bexley campus.
The threat was delivered by phone at approximately 2:15 p.m. with the Harry C. Moores Student Union as the main target, said Nichole Johnson, Capital’s Executive Director of Media Relations.
In accordance with emergency procedures, the building was immediately evacuated, and the campus community was notified of the situation through the university’s Cap Alert system.
Some confusion developed after the initial Cap Alert messages listed the law school as a part of the threat. Johnson said that the university administration attributed those messages to human error.
Students were also confused as to their next step after the initial evacuation Cap Alert was sent out.
Capital Police, in conjunction with Bexley Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Columbus Fire Department, and the State Highway Patrol, searched the Student Union and found that it was clean. The all clear message was sent out at 3:45 p.m.
The building was closed the remainder of the day, and students were given 15 minutes to retrieve any belongings left inside.
The Student Community and Engagement organization fair, which was scheduled for 5-7 p.m., was canceled.
No other buildings were affected, and classes carried on as usual throughout the search at the discretion of the professors.
As the Student Union houses campus’s two main dining facilities, dinner was rescheduled from 5-7:30 p.m. in the Capital Center.
The Department of Homeland Security will handle the subsequent investigation.
