I awake to find an email from our university president saying that there’s a terrorist alert on campus today, and they’ve closed the University. This must be a first at the University of Chicago, and I can’t remember another American university being closed in advance because of a warning of violence:
To: University of Chicago Campus Community
From: Robert J. Zimmer
The University was informed by FBI counterterrorism officials today (Sunday) that an unknown individual posted an online threat of gun violence against the University of Chicago, specifically mentioning “the campus quad” on Monday morning at 10 a.m. Based on the FBI’s assessment of this threat and recent tragic events at other campuses across the country, we have decided in consultation with federal and local law enforcement officials, to exercise caution by canceling all classes and activities on the Hyde Park campus through midnight on Monday. All non-medical faculty, students and non-essential staff are asked not to come to the Hyde Park campus on Monday, or to remain indoors as much as possible if they are on campus. Students in College Housing are asked to stay indoors and await direct communication from College Housing Staff.
In response to the threat, the University will have an increased police and security presence on and around campus, including police personnel with visible weapons and other additional measures. University security personnel are keeping in close contact with the FBI, which is continuing to investigate the threat.
In addition to canceling all classes and events at the Hyde Park campus, the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, the University libraries, the Quadrangle Club, and other campus facilities will be closed on Monday. The University of Chicago Medical Center will remain open to patients, with added security measures. Student Health and Counseling Services will be closed; students may consult csl.uchicago.edu for additional information. Medical Center faculty and staff involved in patient care will receive additional details later this evening.
All University staff and faculty members who do not have emergency duties or patient care responsibilities are encouraged to avoid coming to the Hyde Park campus on Monday. Individuals with questions about their status should contact their immediate supervisors. We will provide updates at the University homepage, www.uchicago.edu, as more information becomes available, with the expectation of resuming normal University operations on Tuesday.
If you see anything unusual or have urgent questions about security measures, please contact the University of Chicago Police Department at 773-702-8181. Students living on campus who are seeking additional information should contact their resident heads.
All I can say is that if Parisians can go to cafes, I can bloody well go to work. Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, the Princess of Poland is petulant, and has also learned a fancy term:
Hili: An empty bowl gives rise to cognitive dissonance.
A: So what are you going to do about it?
Hili: Nothing, I will see whether you are going to fill it when I throw it on the floor.
Hili: Pusta miska wywołuje u mnie dysonans poznawczy.
Ja: I co w związku z tym?
Hili: Nic, zobaczę czy ją napełnisz jak ją zrzucę na ziemię?
Don’t let ’em win Professor!
I wonder what “recent tragic events” at other campuses they are talking about? Virginia Tech 8 years ago? Oh… google is my friend. I haven’t been keeping up with the shootings du jour.
Fear of being blamed makes authority figures risk averse. Hysteria means even low casualties are unacceptable whereas they are probably unavoidable, especially in societies where automatic weapons are available comparatively easily, and there are plenty of loonies who feed of misinformation, & festering from seemed slights…
Solidarity, and keep yourself safe, Jerry.
The UC quad is probably the safest place in Chicago today.
By the way, Loch Ness Monster on today’s Google Doodle!
https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?hl=en
“St.” Andrew’s Day…
Way to go PCC(E)! If you change what you want to do just because some moron makes some sort of threat then they win – they get what they want. I’ve lived in very dangerous places but we didn’t alter our daily plans just because the neighborhood was a scary place…
Paranoia is a wonderful weapon for the Terrorist, I think if someone was about to shoot up the Campus they are hardly likely to advertise the fact.
Exactly. For instance, has a phoned-in airliner bomb threat ever resulted in a real bomb being found on the plane? I’d be surprised… It’d be a waste of all the effort expended to get it on there.
Maybe at some point in history a criminal told the authorities exactly when and where he would commit a serious crime and then went on to make the attempt, but again I’d be surprised. It’s far more likely that the phone-in threats are meant to scare, in which case, mission accomplished…
As I recall, the IRA used to phone in bomb warnings for actual bombs. But that was a carefully calculated strategy, to cause the maximum of nuisance without too many actual casualties.
I do agree, in terms of disruption, phone-in threats are far the most cost-effective way to make use of official risk-averse paranoia.
cr
We have had two active shooter/lockdown incidents on my campus (a regional campus of Indiana University) in the last two years. Both were false alarms, but they were both unnerving, especially the first incident. (The first incident was the result of a theatre student carrying a prop pistol onto campus. I hid in my office for an hour, hearing police car sirens and helicopters; it was especially scary when someone came down the hall checking all of the doors. Police, but I wasn’t completely sure as it was happening.)
Seems a bit silly to me, as though a terrorist will be like “Darn! There wasn’t anyone there at 10AM on Monday so my plot has been foiled!” He could just come on Tuesday if he has serious. Or the Monday after.
Hopefully the police will identify the person(s) behind the threat.
This is what happens when you make your decisions based on fear. What we need is for sanity to prevail, not fear. Acknowledge the fear, yes. But don’t let fear rule your life.
b&
Word.
Heard the threat report on University of Chicago on local Omaha news last night.
Who knows…maybe related to the demonstrations going on about the police shooting?
Throw your dish on the floor, Hili! Just steal someone’s seat.
That seems to be correct.
The threat: “This is my only warning. At 10 a.m. on Monday mourning, I am going to the campus quad of the University of Chicago. I will be armed with an M-4 Carbine and 2 Desert Eagles all fully loaded. I will execute approximately 16 white male students and or staff, which is the same number of time McDonald was killed,” Dean wrote, according to court records. “I then will die killing any number of white policemen in the process. This is not a joke. I am to do my part to rid the world of the white devils. I expect you to do the same.”
I was surprised to see nothing about this on the evening news. Were they trying to keep things “uninflamed”?
Whilst people can use words such as “hysteria” and “paranoia” in relation to shutting a university down on information given by the FBI, can you imagine what would be said if they didn’t and something actually happened?
Here in the UK, there is a long established protocol of “Bomb Threats” by the various terrorist organisations in Northern Ireland. Each has their codeword, with periodically agreed changes, known only to them and the security forces, so they can be checked as genuine. Many of the threats were hoaxes, (and many weren’t), because terrorism isn’t just about a body count, it’s about maximum disruption and the spread of fear.
Carrying on with your normal life, with a threat hanging over you, isn’t the same as ignoring a specifically given threat. That’s Russian Roulette… because I can assure you, sometimes there is a bang
The deal in Chicago is not about bomb threats, it was on line threats to shoot up the place and named a specific location on the campus. And is likely related to a very big problem they have in Chicago right now concerning the cops shooting of a African American.
I realise that Randy, but I don’t think people using words like “hysteria” and “paranoia”, help in any way
The Security Services take these things very seriously. They will make an assessment on the legitimacy of what was said/posted and make a call on it, most of them we never even hear about. So for them to contact the university, there must be a genuine concern
I was also making a general point about the difference between “carrying on” and ignoring a specific threat. They aren’t the same thing
Understand. Was not being critical, just explaining what I don’t think was given out in any of the report here and that is the on going specific issue in Chicago, with demonstrations and a very upset public.
Well aware of IRA issues in the U.K. I was there from Feb. 1969 to May 1972.
There was a specific threat against the science building of a university in Ontario (U of Waterloo) a few months ago. It too was a threat to shoot the place up. Canadian authorities received info from the FBI on that one too.
During WWII the British posted these posters. Maybe we should print some.
http://creator.keepcalmandcarryon.com/kcp-preview/NQOxtJXW
HAHAHAHA
Those are popular here for some reason, including, shall we say, edited versions.
Sub
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I’m dealing with a similar situation this morning. Not a threat but fear in advance of a threat. We are having a guest speaker from Planned Parenthood at our small town women’s luncheon tomorrow. This was planned well before the shooting last week. Now some members of the board want a policeman at the door. This kind of fear makes me feel as if the terrorists win. I get exasperated when people aren’t brave, but I can’t rally them to carry on because once the idea has been put out there it would be my fault if I say we don’t need a policeman posted at the door and a shooter shows up.
I heart Hili’s thinking today.
And PCC(E) sounds noble and brave. But part of me would rather imagining Jerry nowhere near where a threat has been.
Appreciate the sanity.
I find it implausible that a someone would notify of an upcoming real attack, and with a precise time no less. And if the perp did want to attack, what’s to stop him from doing it at a later date, when everyone thinks it must have been a false alarm? What is UC to do? Close up shop?
You are likely correct. Phoned in threats are probably not carried out nearly all the time. But, whatever the threat is, must be assessed based on that situation, no?
So if we know in Chicago they are having lots of demonstrations concerning a shooting that took place nearly a year ago and now everyone is seeing pictures of this shooting and a lot of people are mad as hell. I might want to take the threat a bit more seriously.
Also today, over in Afghanistan, in Kabul they have a threat of attack or bombing within 48 hours. Considering where this is, might also have something to do with how seriously you take the threat.
Just an update on the closing of the University of Chicago. News reports say they have arrested a suspect….an off campus student. No additional info or motive as yet.
Approx. 1:30 pm central.
More here.
Nice. So as I suggested, it was connected to the shooting. The cops in Chicago really blew this one I think.
The hoaxster was attending U of Illinois, Chicago. I hope they have him pay for the cost of a days tuition for everyone at U of C.
I’m relieved your school drama today ended without excitement.
As for Hili’s nomms related petulance, my young cat has recently discovered that if he pokes me gently using a single extended claw tip with just the right level of pokiness I will awake without yelling. Diabolical.