UPDATE: 4:30 p.m.
All clear text sent to students
Belmont has sent a text alert to students giving the all clear to re-open all buildings affected by Tuesday’s bomb scare.
“After full investigation, all building evacuated from today’s bomb threat are cleared to re-open now,” said the mass text.
Keep checking belmontvision.com and @belmontvision on Twitter for continuous updates.
UPDATE: 4:20 p.m.
Source: Wright/Maddox, Heron will open tonight
After a bomb scare and subsequent search, Wright/Maddox and Heron halls will both be reopened tonight, said a Belmont campus security officer.
All buildings closed because of the potential threat have been checked by officials. Wilson and MPAC are not expected to reopen tonight, but should be open by tomorrow, said the source.
UPDATE: 3:40 p.m.
The hours-long lockdown of various buildings is still occurring on Belmont’s campus, as officers are continuing their search after a bomb threat was reported earlier Tuesday afternoon.
The situation began when a student overheard a potential bomb threat and reported it to an administrator, director of communication Greg Pillon said. No device has been found, he said. Also, no suspects have been identified.
“We’re generally just waiting for the all clear,” he said.
The Tennessean is reporting the search has taken longer than expected because officials are having to search around instruments in Wilson. Wright/Maddox, Heron, and MPAC are also still on lockdown.
Original Report:
Multiple dorms and buildings on campus have been evacuated Tuesday afternoon after a possible bomb threat was reported to the university by a student.
The university has confirmed the threat in an e-mail sent to students around 1:45 p.m., and is following “an established protocol” with Metro police to deal with the situation.
Evacuations began around 12:15 p.m. in Heron, Wright/Maddox, MPAC, and Wilson. All students have been locked out of these buildings, and it is uncertain when they will be allowed back in. A mass text alert will be sent out when everything is under control, director of Residence Life Anthony Donovan said to multiple officials. Metro police have also been called to the scene.
Campus security has not confirmed any specific threats, but did send out a text alerting people of the security threat. Multiple students and officials have said a bomb threat has caused the lockdown.
Currently, the Beaman Student Life Center, the library, and the Curb Event Center are open. Final exams scheduled for Tuesday are still occurring, while some have been relocated to new classrooms.
An unrelated power outage affecting parts of campus has also occurred on 15th and Acklen avenues due to a meter issue.
Stay tuned to belmontvision.com for more updates and information as the situation develops.