Northern Illinois University on High Alert in Response to Threat

University to Re-Open Tuesday

12/10/07 / 4:15 p.m. - UPDATE

Northern Illinois University will re-open and resume its final exam schedule tomorrow, (Tuesday, Dec. 11th) following today’s security closure. Final exams scheduled for today (Monday, Dec. 10) have been rescheduled for Friday, December 14th.

While an investigation into the weekend posting of threats in a residence hall restroom continues, university police are satisfied that the anonymous message no longer represents an imminent threat to students, faculty or staff.

University, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have identified several leads and remain hopeful about timely resolution of the case.

Northern Illinois University in DeKalb is under a security alert through the end of the semester after police found threats on a bathroom wall that included a racial slur and references to the Virginia Tech shootings, a university spokeswoman said Sunday.

A statement on the school's Web site late Sunday said that "concerns and questions" related to the threats have in part prompted the cancellation of final exams scheduled for Monday. Icy conditions also factored into the decision to close the campus, officials said.

Campus police are investigating two separate messages found by a student Saturday night on a restroom wall in the Grant D Towers complex that read that "things will change most hastily" in the final days of the semester, which ends Friday, said Melanie Magara, a university spokeswoman.

 
Grant D Tower is one of four 13-story towers known collectively as Grant Towers. Grant D features all single rooms. Towers A, B and C have double rooms.

The first set of messages, found written in black ink in a women's restroom, includes a racial slur and reads "ME / OUT . . . Die Sem Burr 10th . . . Hmz Sdn Cr" in what officials believe are references to Dec. 10 and the Holmes Student Center. Underlined letters also spell out the word "WATCH."

 
The second entry, which appears to be in different handwriting, reads, "What time? The VA tech shooters messed up w/ having only one shooter . . ."

University Closed Monday

12/10/07, 10:45 a.m., UPDATE

The Crisis Team is continuing to meet at this hour regarding the previously issued campus alert. Discussions continue regarding the status of classes/exams tomorrow (Tuesday, Dec.11). An announcement on tomorrow's university status will be made by mid-afternoon. This page will be updated accordingly.