YPSILANTI (WWJ) — A bomb threat Tuesday afternoon led to the evacuation of multiple buildings on the campus of Eastern Michigan University, an incident authorities believe is connected to other bomb threats.
At the same time police dealt with the threat on campus Monday, EMU Chief of Police Matthew Lige says authorities were also notified of a bomb threat at the Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest in Ypsilanti. It was the second bomb threat in three days at the hotel, which was evacuated Sunday morning during the Motor City Furry Con.
Nine buildings on the campus were evacuated as officials investigated the threat, which Lige says was received via email around noon.
The "all clear" was given around 2:30 p.m., as no suspicious items were found.
EMU students and staff received an alert instructing them to use the nearest exits and stairways.
The nine buildings were Walton, Phelps, Best, Dowing, Eateries, DC1, Wise, Buell, and Putnam, police officials said.
Three residence halls were reportedly threatened, while the other nearby buildings were included as a precaution, officials said.
Lige told WWJ's Darrylin Horne the connection between the multiple bomb threats is "undeniable."
“We do believe that there is a nexus between a bomb threat that was received at a Marriott hotel over the weekend, and I believe that there's a connection between that bomb threat and the bomb threat we received here at EMU," Lige said. "What that is and why it is, the investigation has just begun and it would be too premature to speculate, but there's an indication that those two are connected.”
Lige said EMU police will be working with local, state and federal authorities to track down who sent the emails.
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