More Graffiti Found At Elmhurst College, Campus To Remain Closed

ELMHURST, IL — The Elmhurst College campus will be closed again on Tuesday, Oct. 29 after a third incident of threatening graffiti was found on campus on Monday, school officials have confirmed. The latest message was found around 1:30 p.m. in the Dinkmeyer residence hall, but it's unknown if it is related to the one found in the campus library Sunday night that caused the closure of the school and cancellation of all classes on Monday.

Although Elmhurst police said they did not consider the Sunday incident a credible threat, the school said they are taking this seriously and have decided to cancel all classes and events scheduled for Monday out of an abundance of caution.

A separate graffiti incident was reported last week in a dormitory, but it's not known whether that is related to the other more recent funds, the school said. Police also found that incident not to be a credible threat.

That threat, reported on Oct. 23, involved graffiti found in a bathroom at Niebuhr Hall that read "Shoot the school" and "Shoot it up!" A campus notification that went out that day indicated those messages were on the walls in multiple stalls in red marker.

“Activities that threaten our campus community are completely unacceptable and are a violation of everything the College stands for,” Elmhurst College President Troy VanAken said. “Student safety is a top priority, as is a complete and thorough investigation of these incidents.”

The school said closing the campus means offices and academic and recreational facilities are closed and classes, including evening classes, and events have been canceled.

"This will allow police to conduct their investigation and the administration to work through appropriate next steps," the school wrote in a news release.

Residence halls will remain open at the school, but anyone who wants an escort or additional assistance can call campus security.