Explosives Found At University Of Central Florida Campus

Explosives were found at the University of Central Florida campus on Monday while police were investigating an apparent suicide.

The school closed its main campus in Orlando while police investigated the suicide as well as the explosives and weapons found in a dorm.

The ordeal began early Monday morning when campus police received a 911 call “regarding a man with a gun.” They arrived at the dorm room and found the body of a male student that had an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police closed the residence hall and conducted an investigation of the student’s room. They discovered a handgun, an assault weapon, and several improvised explosive devices. Grant Heston, a spokesman for UCF, explained, “Upon further examination of the student’s room, [police] found weapons and a bag containing improvised explosive devices.”

The find prompted police to send a text alert to students at 2:09 am saying that Tower 1 dorm would be evacuated over the “suspicious death.” They released another message just over 30 minutes later assuring residents there was no threat. Heston explained, “It was clear at that point that there was no imminent threat from a live shooter, which is the first thing you worry about.”

The evacuated dorm is part of the school’s Towers at Knight Plaza apartment complex. Tower 1 boasts seven floors, and the typical layout has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a common living area. There are also single apartments available. The school’s main campus was expected to remain closed until noon on Monday. All classes starting before noon were canceled.

One student, Laura Vickers, took to the school’s Facebook page to explain the situation. Vickers wrote:

“I am sad to say a UCF Knight took their own life today in Tower 1. Despite the … devices found in the student’s room this loss was a tragedy. This week I encourage all UCF students to lend a helping hand to a roommate or friend or contact someone you haven’t spoken to in awhile. Life is precious and it can end in the blink of an eye.”

Information about the student has not been released.

[Image by Kelly Daacon from Orlando, FL [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons]