By

STEVE STAEGER

Senior Reporter

 

Threats written on bathroom walls in two academic

buildings and the Oakland Center have prompted university officials to close

the campus until 7:00 a.m. Tuesday.  

 

“Our crisis management team met early this morning to

go over the facts,” said Sam Lucido, OU Chief of Police.

 

That team made the final decision to close the campus.

 

“Safety and security are the university’s highest

priority and the decision to close campus is consistent with that philosophy,”

Lucido said.  

 

The closing comes after phone tips led police to

discover a vague threat on the men’s bathroom wall in O’Dowd Hall, and another

threat in a men’s room in the Oakland Center Saturday.  An e-mail was sent

to students after the first message was found and investigated. 

 

Police then carried out a search of all buildings on

campus and found a third more specific threat on a bathroom wall in Kresge

Library at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Sunday.

 

According to Lucido, one of the messages specifically

included Monday’s date, which is one of the reasons campus was closed.

 

Lucido declined comment on the content of the

messages, and said he could not speculate whether the threats were linked at

all to the anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre on April 16.

 

The threats coincide with two similar threats found

this week at Saint Xavier University.  A threat found in an academic

building bathroom at the Chicago university read “Be prepared to die on 4/14”,

according to the Chicago Tribune.  

 

Saint Xavier University officials have decided to

close the university indefinitely.  

 

Police have posted flyers on the doors of each

building and will be out in extra patrols Sunday and Monday.  If anyone is

walking around campus or inside any building, they will be asked to leave.

 

 

The residence halls are the only buildings on campus

that will remain open for students who choose not to go home.

 

“Since the threats were located in academic buildings

away from the halls, we are allowing them to stay open,” Lucido said. 

 

University officials are, however, encouraging

resident students to go home if they can, Lucido said.

 

The residence halls are on alert and housing staff

members are located at all open entrances. Students are not permitted to bring

guests into the halls. 

 

One student said he isn’t sure yet if he will leave.

“I’m hoping that nothing does happen,” he said. 

“This is just the beginning of the day — I don’t know what’s ahead.” 

 

Look for further updates concerning the incident here,

at www.oaklandpostonline.com, and in our print edition, Wednesday, April 16.