Campus Alert Archive
Ohio State

An Email to the FBI Empties Four Ohio State Buildings on a Tuesday Morning

OHbomb threatemergency notificationmedium confidence
UnfoundedNo evidence of an actual threat was found. The institutional response is documented because the alert communication is identical to what would occur during a real incident.

On the morning of November 16, 2010, the FBI relayed to Ohio State an anonymous emailed threat that explosives had been placed in four campus buildings, prompting the university to activate Buckeye Alert and text roughly 32,000 students to avoid the William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library, McPherson Chemical Laboratory, Smith Laboratory, and Scott Laboratory. A nearly four-hour police search found no devices, and the buildings were reopened in stages. No one was injured.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
The Ohio State University
Public R1 · OH
~56,000 studentsBuckeye Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction144 chars
Buckeye Alert: Bomb threat. Avoid Thompson Library, McPherson Lab, Smith Lab and Scott Lab. Stay away from these buildings until further notice.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed: sources confirm Buckeye Alert texted roughly 32,000 students to stay away from the four named buildings, but the exact wording is not preserved.
Police were alerted by the FBI at approximately 8:19 AM EST and activated Buckeye Alert at about 8:41 AM EST, sending the text shortly before 9:00 AM EST.
The four buildings named were the William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library, McPherson Chemical Laboratory, Smith Laboratory, and Scott Laboratory.
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction228 chars
Buckeye Alert update: Police continue to search the four affected buildings. No suspicious devices have been found so far. Please continue to avoid Thompson Library, McPherson Lab, Smith Lab and Scott Lab until they are cleared.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed: WOSU reported that some labs were nearing reopening while others remained under search, indicating a staged update before the all-clear.
This is an update rather than an all-clear because it still directs the community to avoid the buildings.
The search ran nearly four hours total before the final building was cleared.
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction175 chars
Buckeye Alert all clear: Police found no explosive devices. All four buildings have been searched and reopened. Normal operations have resumed. Thank you for your cooperation.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed: a Cleveland 19 report headlined the night with 'All Clear,' and sources confirm staged reopenings ending with Thompson Library around 9:00 PM EST.
This is the genuine all-clear because it confirms no devices were found and lifts the avoidance instruction.
The roughly twelve-hour span from the morning text to the final reopening shows how a single emailed threat can disrupt a major R1 campus for an entire day.
Context

Background

Four Ohio State buildings were evacuated on November 16, 2010, after the FBI's Columbus office relayed an anonymous emailed threat that explosives had been placed in campus buildings. The university used its Buckeye Alert system to text roughly 32,000 students shortly before 9:00 AM EST, naming the William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library and three science laboratories. A nearly four-hour search by police and bomb technicians turned up no devices, and the buildings were reopened in stages through the evening. The case is an early example of how the post-Virginia Tech notification systems handled a campus-wide threat without an active attacker, and of the operational decision to name specific buildings rather than lock down the entire university.
Analysis

Key Findings

Ohio State activated Buckeye Alert about 22 minutes after the FBI relayed the threat and texted roughly 32,000 students
The threat named four buildings; the university directed avoidance of those buildings rather than a campus-wide lockdown
A nearly four-hour police search found no explosive devices and the threat was deemed unfounded
Buildings reopened in stages, with Thompson Library the last to reopen around 9:00 PM EST
Outcome
No explosive devices were found in any of the four buildings. McPherson and Smith Laboratories reopened first; Scott Laboratory reopened around 6:00 PM EST and Thompson Library around 9:00 PM EST. No injuries were reported.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    4 Ohio State University buildings closed after bomb threat - CNN.com
    cnn.com
  2. News
    Ohio State University Bomb Threat: Campus Shuts Down Main Library, 3 Lab Buildings - CBS News
    cbsnews.com
  3. News
    Two of Four Evacuated OSU Labs Re-Open - WOSU Public Media
    wosu.org
  4. News
    All Clear: Bomb scare prompts evacuation of buildings on OSU campus - Cleveland 19
    cleveland19.com
  5. News
    Authorities Respond to Bomb Threat at Ohio State University - Fox News
    foxnews.com
Tags
bomb-threatohiobuckeye-alertevacuationunfoundedemailed-threatno-injuriesUnfounded
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion