OUPD aren’t having problems keeping people off campus today,

the second day of an administration mandated lockdown after threatening

messages were found scrawled on the walls of three Oakland University bathrooms

over the weekend.

“People have been very cooperative,” said Sam Lucido, OU

Chief of Police.

A few people who were unaware of the closure made their way

to campus, but were very understanding when officers explained the situation

and turned them away, according to Lucido.

But while the campus community

stays away, OUPD have received an influx of phone tips regarding multiple written threats found on the men’s bathroom

walls in O’Dowd Hall, the Oakland Center and Kresge Library, which led the

university to close Sunday and Monday.

 

According to Lucido, one of the messages

specifically included Monday’s date, but declined to further comment on the

content of the messages.

Lucido declined comment on the specifics of the tips. 

“We are continuing our investigation,” Lucido said.

If the investigation identifies the perpetrator, that person

may face serious legal ramifications. 

“It all depends on how the investigation unfolds, but the

person would probably face threat and intimidation charges, and that’s a felony

offense,” said Lucido.

Depending on what the threat was, the person responsible could

be prosecuted under terrorism statutes, which hold penalties ranging from 5 to

20 year, according to Edward Cybor, chief of the warrants department for the

Oakland County Prosecutor. 

Cybor said he can not directly specify what the charge would

be without seeing the facts of the case.

The school’s closure marks the first time in OU’s 50 year

history that it had to its doors because of a security threat. 

Meanwhile, another university in Chicago was evacuated today

after a similar threat was found on a bathroom wall.

Officials at Malcolm X College, located on Chicago’s West

side, said the school will reopen for evening classes tonight. The threat makes

Malcolm X College the second Chicago institution to close its doors, along with

Saint Xavier University which closed because of two threats found last week.

Threats at all three schools, including Oakland,

specifically mentioned the date 4/14.