DOVER, Del. - Delaware State University announced an evacuation and cancelled all classes for the remainder of Tuesday after receiving a bomb threat, with other universities in Delaware and Maryland reporting similar safety concerns.
According to a DSU spokesperson, the University received the threat just before 11 a.m. on Sept. 30. University police were working with state and federal authorities to investigate the threat.
DSU officials said academic buildings were evacuated out of an abundance of caution and classes would be cancelled for the rest of the day. All DSU employees except essential personnel were sent home, according to a DSU spokesperson.
At about 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, DSU issued an updated statement saying the campus had been cleared.
“Delaware State University police, in coordination with local, state and federal authorities, have cleared campus buildings following a bomb threat that was received just before 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday," the statement reads. "Campus will reopen as scheduled on Wednesday.”
University of Delaware also reported a potential threat on campus Tuesday and confirmed that some buildings had been evacuated.
Just after 3:30 p.m., a UD spokesperson said university police had issued an all clear and that there was no active threat to campus safety. Students and staff were informed that normal activity could resume around the Central Green, including Gore Hall, Sharp Laboratory, and Mitchell Hall - all buildings that had been evacuated out of an abundance of safety.
"The University of Delaware prioritizes the safety of its community members and campus," a statement from UD to WBOC reads. "On Tuesday morning, the University received information about a reported explosive device in a building on the Newark Campus. UD Police took action immediately, responding to the area to begin investigating this reported incident, evacuating multiple buildings, and calling in support from other nearby law enforcement agencies to assist in the investigation. The result of the investigation rendered the report to be unfounded. During its investigation, UD Police learned that multiple institutions regionally and nationally received similar reports of potential safety threats."
"The University is grateful to the members of our UD community for their patience and cooperation and for taking seriously this potential incident," a university spokesperson continued. "As a reminder: If you see something, say something. UD Police encourages members of the University community to report any suspicious behavior."
Delaware Governor Matt Meyer acknowledged the threats toward both universities.
"There is no place for violence in our state. We’re monitoring the ongoing situations at University of Delaware and Delaware State University, and we’re in close contact with the Delaware State Police and local authorities," Meyer said. "Please follow guidance from local officials, as we work to keep students safe and our campuses secure."
In Maryland, Morgan State University also announced they had received a threat on Tuesday, as did Towson University.