Campus Alert Archive
Ole Miss

Dual Building Bomb Threats Shut Down Ole Miss Pavilion and Student Union in Rolling Evacuations

MSbomb 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 November 19, 2024, the University of Mississippi received unconfirmed bomb threats targeting two campus buildings in succession. The RebAlert system first warned the community to avoid the Sandy and John Black Pavilion at 1:42 PM CST, then issued a second alert for the Student Union at 2:20 PM. UPD swept both buildings and issued an all-clear at 2:43 PM after finding no explosive devices.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of Mississippi
Public R1 · MS
~23,000 studentsRebAlert
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 reconstruction215 chars
REB ALERT: University Police are investigating a bomb threat at the Sandy and John Black Pavilion. UPD has evacuated the building and is asking everyone to avoid the surrounding area while they conduct their search.

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

The Sandy and John Black Pavilion is the university's basketball arena, located on the south side of campus
This was the first of two bomb threats received within approximately 40 minutes, suggesting a coordinated series of calls
UPDATESMS+38 min
Approximate reconstruction206 chars
REB ALERT: The SJB Pavilion has been cleared. University Police are now investigating a bomb threat at the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union. Avoid the Student Union area until an all clear is issued.

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

The Pavilion was cleared at approximately 2:20 PM CST, roughly 38 minutes after the initial alert
The second bomb threat targeting the Student Union came almost immediately after the Pavilion was cleared, creating a rolling evacuation pattern
ALL CLEARSMS+1h 1m
Approximate reconstruction131 chars
REB ALERT: UPD has concluded its search in response to the unconfirmed bomb threat. All clear. Normal campus operations may resume.

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

The all-clear was issued at 2:43 PM CST on November 19, 2024, approximately one hour after the first alert
Food locations in both the Pavilion and the Student Union had closed temporarily during the investigation
Context

Background

On November 19, 2024, the University of Mississippi Police Department received reports of unconfirmed bomb threats against multiple campus buildings. The first threat targeted the Sandy and John Black Pavilion, the university's basketball arena, prompting an immediate evacuation and a RebAlert notification at 1:42 PM CST. After clearing the Pavilion at approximately 2:20 PM, a second threat was received targeting the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union, triggering another round of evacuations. UPD conducted comprehensive sweeps of both facilities with assistance from law enforcement partners, and declared both threats unfounded at 2:43 PM. No explosive devices were found and no arrests were reported. Food service locations in both buildings closed temporarily during the searches. The incident occurred during the fall semester and disrupted afternoon campus activities for approximately one hour.
Analysis

Key Findings

The rolling nature of the threats, with a second building targeted immediately after the first was cleared, suggests a deliberate attempt to maximize campus disruption
The RebAlert system delivered three distinct messages over the course of one hour, keeping the campus community informed of the evolving situation
Total campus disruption lasted approximately one hour from first alert to all-clear
Outcome
Both bomb threats were deemed unfounded after comprehensive sweeps by UPD. No explosive devices were found and no injuries were reported. Food service locations in both buildings closed temporarily during the investigation.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    University Police Department Investigates Campus Bomb Threat (Daily Mississippian)
    thedmonline.com
  2. Student Paper
    Bomb Threats On Campus Deemed Unfounded Following Comprehensive UPD Sweep (Daily Mississippian)
    thedmonline.com
  3. News
    Officials give 'all-clear' notice following bomb threat reported at Ole Miss campus (SuperTalk Mississippi)
    supertalk.fm
  4. News
    UPD responds to unconfirmed bomb threat at the Pavilion (Oxford Eagle)
    oxfordeagle.com
  5. Social
    Ole Miss RebAlert Twitter/X notification
    x.com
Tags
bomb-threatunfoundeddual-buildingevacuationsecbasketball-arenastudent-unionoxford-mississippiUnfounded
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion