After multiple bomb threats were made over the weekend at Ivy League university campuses, Penn's Division of Public Safety clarified that no bomb threats have been made against the University.
"[DPS] is aware and concerned about the threats called into some other Ivy League universities yesterday and Friday. Fortunately, at this time, there are no threats made against Penn," DPS wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian on Nov. 8.
DPS consulted with the Philadelphia Police Ordnance Disposal Unit; the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center, which is monitoring social media postings; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Weapons of Mass Destruction Squad, according to the email.
"We will continue to gather information and monitor for any threats to our own community," DPS wrote.
Cornell University, Columbia University, and Brown University received bomb threats on Sunday, prompting evacuations in some campus buildings. There were not any reports of explosions or damage as of Sunday afternoon, The Wall Street Journal reported. Local authorities also investigated a bomb threat at Yale University on Friday afternoon.
Columbia had issued a campus-wide emergency alert on Sunday at about 2:30 p.m., the University tweeted, prompting immediate evacuation of some buildings. The New York Police Department investigated the threats and deemed they were not credible, and campus buildings were cleared for reoccupancy a couple hours later.
On Sunday at about 3:20 p.m., Cornell tweeted that police received a call that bombs were being placed in the Cornell Law School, as well as three other campus facilities, and directed its community to "avoid central campus." The University said Sunday evening that no credible threats were found and that it was safe to resume all normal activities.
Brown's public safety department also evacuated several buildings near its College Green on Sunday. Students received a university alert Sunday evening at about 5:45 p.m., which stated that all buildings that were evacuated had reopened, The Brown Daily Herald reported. Officers ultimately found no evidence of a credible threat.
It is unclear whether these events across the Ivy League are related. The FBI and Bureau of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives may investigate the connection between the incidents at each of the Ivy League universities, Brown’s campus police told The Boston Globe.
The series of incidents this past weekend follow recent threats at other American universities.
On Friday, the New Haven Police Dispatch informed Yale University of a person who had phoned in, claiming to place 40 bombs in multiple locations across campus. That evening, the Yale Police Department announced that there was no validity to the bomb threat, and campus resumed normal operations, the Yale Daily News reported.
On Saturday, Miami University and Ohio University received similar campus bomb threats, which were later cleared, according to The Miami Student and 10 WBNS.
— Staff reporter Kevin Bryan contributed reporting to this story.
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