By Valerie McMurray – [email protected] – Asst. News Editor | Oct. 29, 2014
UNC Asheville police responded to an anonymous bomb threat affecting Highsmith Student Union last Thursday, closing the affected section of University Heights temporarily.
Law enforcement found no bomb or other threat, according to a university press release.
Around 3 p.m., university police alerted students, faculty and staff about the threat via phone, email and text, with a system known as Bulldog Alerts. Just after 4 p.m. they sent a follow-up message relieving recipients of the threat.
Police searched students’ cars outside of Highsmith University Union. They did not have to evacuate any buildings and classes were not affected.
The threats are part of a series of threats investigators say may be coming from out of state, which began on Oct. 20.
Natalie Bailey, an Buncombe County Sheriff Office spokesperson, said the caller made disparaging comments about the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses.
All responded by evacuating and searching the premises. None of the searches yielded a bomb or other danger.
On Oct. 14, Asheville Police and bomb-sniffing dogs responded to a bomb threat at the William H. Stanley Center, but no bomb was found.
