Police investigating car fire and written bomb threat at Tufts
Tufts University evacuated several buildings on campus and postponed finals on Monday morning as police investigated a car fire and a written bomb threat at the school.
According to Tufts officials, the note said that bombs had been placed at Cabot Hall, Braker Hall, Cohen Auditorium, and Tisch. Tufts initially recommended that students stay clear of those areas, as well as Health Services, the Tisch Library and the Tisch Sports Complex, but gave the all clear Monday afternoon and said the campus was returning to “limited operations.”
The affected buildings have been evacuated and secured, according to Mary Jeka, vice president of University relations at Tufts. Police and bomb-sniffing dogs worked to clear those buildings of danger, she said.
The university said there would be an enhanced police presence on campus for the remainder of the day “for the peace of mind of the community.”
Jeka said that the written bomb threat, which was posted to the door of the health services building, included references to the debate over the school’s attempt to lay off janitors.
Last summer, a group of students known as the Tufts Labor Coalition protested the layoffs by going on a hunger strike. A spokeswoman for the group denied any involvement in Monday morning’s car fire and threats.
“TLC had no role in, and condemns, these acts of violence,” the group said in a statement. “TLC’s goal is to create fair and safe conditions for Tufts workers. TLC would never act in a way that would bring danger to any member of the Tufts community: workers, students, faculty and staff, or administrators.”
The car fire, located at 124 Professors Row, was extinguished. Jeka said that the choice of that car “appears to be random.” A bevy of local, state, and federal police were on scene to investigate the bomb threats, the city of Somerville said in a statement.
Though classes have ended for the summer, Tufts’ final examinations period began on Friday and lasts through May 13. Both morning and noon and 3:30 p.m. exams have been postponed, Tufts said.
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