WWU building closed after being mentioned in bomb threat
Western Washington University has locked one of its buildings after it was mentioned in a bomb threat through a voice-over-internet communications website Friday, the school reported.
Though WWU police continue to investigate and check the building, a school alert on the threat said it was not believed to be credible.
The threat was posted Friday, Sept. 10, on Discord, a communications website frequently used by online gamers, according to the alert, and to a board run and used by WWU students and the general public. The threat specifically mentioned Bond Hall, according to the alert.
Screenshots of the threat and conversation leading up to it were forwarded to university police, according to the alert, and officers made a walk through of the facility. Police plan to continue additional patrols around Bond Hall for the near future.
The investigation is ongoing, according to the alert.
Students in charge of the Discord board told police they suspect the person who made the threat was a user who had been previously banned from the group for posting offensive material, according to the alert. It is believed the user reappeared on the board to make the threat under a new screen name.
Bond Hall was closed all weekend and remains locked on Monday, Sept. 13, though employees can enter and exit using their keys, according to the release.
“While this is not viewed as a credible threat to the health and safety of campus, anyone who spots anything suspicious should always report it immediately by dialing 911,” the alert said.
WWU’s first scheduled day of classes for the Fall 2021 quarter is Sept. 22.
Bond Hall is an academic building that houses the school’s College of Sciences and Technology as well as its history, liberal studies, mathematics and philosophy departments, according to the school’s website.
Students who need support are asked to call representatives from the Counseling Center at 360-650-3164, while staff that needs assistance can call the Washington State Employee Assistance Program at 877-313-4455.
