Alleged Threat Of Violence At Auburn University For April 16


UPDATE: The Auburn threat has resulted in classes being cancelled today, Wednesday, “due to continued student and parent anxiety,” according to The Plainsman, the student news outlet. Authorities are saying at this time that they do not believe that the threat is credible, but they are taking no chances. An AU alert sent out via email went out this morning to students at 7:11 am. Though classes are cancelled, a police presence will remain on campus.

A threat to “unleash a rampage of Biblical proportion” was found scrawled on a men’s room wall in the library of Auburn University on Tuesday night. The message said that the violence would occur on April 16, 2014, seven years to the day after the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, which took 33 lives.

Campus officials have sent out an alert saying, “While no immediate threat has been substantiated, police presence has and will be increased in and around the campus of Auburn University.”

According to The Plainsman, a student news outlet, pre-med student Caleb Mason found the message about three weeks ago in the Haley Center, and called police. Per their request, Mason sent a picture of the message. There was apparently some confusion about where exactly the threat was located, and Caleb didn’t hear anything back from authorities, until Tuesday night.

Another student, a graduate student this time, Luke Sheehan called police at 9:52 pm on Tuesday, April 15, to report the threat on the bathroom wall. “Before I was able to get the words out of my mouth, the police said they were working on it.” Sheehan said.

Word has spread quickly via social media, and some students have called for skipping classes on Wednesday. The cryptic message says, “To whom it may concern, April 16, 2014, I will unleash a rampage of biblical proportion across this tiny campus. You have been warned.”

Allegedly the same threat to the Auburn campus was tweeted just a few weeks ago on March 26, 2014.

The threats are under investigation, and extra police will be on the Auburn campus Wednesday.

Another Alabama university is beefing up security as well. The University of North Alabama in Florence was reported by AL.com to have received notice Tuesday by someone threatening to “shoot up the school.” The threat came via YikYak, which is an app that allows its users to anonymously post messages.

At this time, UNA officials are working to trace the post. They report that they are unable to determine if the threat is a legitimate threat, or “just horseplay.”

While neither school has cancelled classes, both schools are taking the threats seriously and have stepped up security. They have alerted students and staff to be on alert Wednesday. It is hoped that nothing will come of either of these stories and that none of the threats will materialize.

Anyone with additional information about the threat at UNA is requested to call campus police at 256-765-4357.

Anyone with additional information about the threats at Auburn should contact the Auburn Police Division at 334-501-3100.

[images via bing]

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