Police and explosive device personnel responded yesterday morning to a report of a “suspicious piece of abandoned luggage” in the Dawson’s Row area, near the Office of African-American Affairs, University Police Chief Michael Gibson said.
Once officials arrived at the scene, the area surrounding the luggage was cordoned off with yellow caution tape. Faculty, staff members, students and others were also asked to leave the area near Dawson’s Row, and access in and out of the surrounding buildings was restricted.
“Since 9/11, we’ve just been making sure to take additional precautions at all times, and it just so happened that we got the call for this today,” University Police Lieut. Melissa Fielding said.
At about 11:40 a.m., the suspicious piece of luggage was moved by a explosive device technician. As a precautionary measure, the item was then destroyed using a device that fires an explosively powered jet of water. A loud noise was heard when the device was used, but this is only believed to have been the sound caused by the propellant system.
“I believe it was only some papers [inside the piece of luggage],” University spokesperson Carol Wood said.
—compiled by Thomas Madrecki
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