This story has been updated.
After more than five hours since several Central Campus locations were evacuated due to bomb threats, law enforcement concluded that no credible threats were found.
In the seventh CornellALERT of the day, the University said that it is safe to resume all normal activities, with the search of campus complete.
“Following an investigation by local and state law enforcement, today’s bomb threats were deemed not credible and the campus buildings have been cleared for reoccupancy,” the alert read. “Thank you for heeding caution during this stressful situation.”
The first campus-wide notice came at approximately 1:57 p.m. on Sunday and alerted everyone to avoid the Arts Quad and Goldwin Smith Hall. By 2:12 p.m. Cornell widened the alert and advised to evacuate and avoid the Law School, Goldwin Smith Hall, Upson Hall and Kennedy Hall — where there were bomb threats, according to a fourth alert at approximately 3:23 p.m.
Joel Malina, vice president for University relations, wrote in a Sunday evening statement that Tompkins County 911 received an anonymous call just before 2 p.m. from an individual “claiming to be in one of our academic buildings with automatic weapons, and that explosives had been placed in several other academic buildings.”
Alongside Cornell Police, the Ithaca Police Department, the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, Cortland Police Department, SUNY Cortland Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York State Police also responded to the situation.
Malina indicated that Cornell will continue to work with local, state and federal investigators to address the potential links between threats at Cornell on Sunday and similar events at Yale, Columbia and Brown universities.
“Situations like these are frightening and stressful. We urge all students, faculty and staff to utilize campus resources if you would like to talk about today’s events,” Malina wrote, alongside a list of mental health resources. “We are also mindful of the worry experienced by the extended campus community of parents and friends, as well as by our neighbors throughout the greater Ithaca community.”
“We are relieved to report that this threat appears to have been a hoax,” Malina continued. “A cruel hoax; but, thankfully, just a hoax.”