Crime & Safety

Marymount University Bomb Threat Emergency Ends, Campus Reopens

The campus was evacuated on Easter Sunday over a bomb threat. One person has been taken into custody, police said.

ARLINGTON, VA — One person has been taken into custody following a bomb threat at Marymount University, police said on Twitter. The Arlington County Police Department said the campus had to evacuate on Sunday morning for the threat.

The university remained evacuated out of an abundance of caution as bomb sniffing dogs sweep the campus, police said. The university released a statement around 1:30 p.m. saying the emergency had ended, the campus was "all clear" and it would reopen normally.

A university spokesperson told WRC-TV the school is on spring break and there are fewer students on campus than usual.

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“We want to express our sincere appreciation to the law enforcement officers who responded promptly to protect the safety of our campus community,” Eric Hols, the university’s director of campus safety and emergency management, said in a statement. “We will continue to cooperate fully as their investigation continues.”

Not long after the school reopened, police reminded the public in a tweet that threats "are not a joke" and that law enforcement will take them seriously.

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County spokeswoman Kirby Clark told The Washington Post the threat was made via social media, but she could not say if it was an April Fool’s prank.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 703-558-2222

The university is located near Glebe Road and Yorktown Boulevard.


Photo credit: Screenshot Google Maps

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