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Shortly before 6:15 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 28 in Hampshire County, Smith College in Northampton announced that the threat had been made against Burton Hall, which sits in the heart of the campus.
Police said that the threat included an anonymous report of multiple explosive devices at Burton Hall that was made at 5:02 a.m. on Friday morning.
In response, students were advised to avoid that area of the campus, and a shelter-in-place order was issued approximately 20 minutes after the initial announcement of the threat.
The Northampton Police Department, Massachusetts State Police Fire Marshall, and Bomb Squad units searched the campus and investigated the threat, which was ultimately deemed not credible.
“The unoccupied building was thoroughly checked and nothing suspicious was found,” police investigators said. "The incident was determined to be a hoax.”
Smith College lifted the shelter-in-place order at approximately 7 a.m. on Friday morning.
“While there was no physical harm to campus, we recognize that incidents like these can cause significant distress,” Smith College Vice Presidents David DeSwert and Jim Gray said in a joint statement.
“Health and wellness resources are available for both students and employees, and we encourage every member of our community to take advantage of these support networks.”
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