Site all clear after bomb threat

Written by Samuel Blackmer
(blackmar@mscd.edu)

A bomb threat was discovered written on the wall of a portable toilet located at the construction site of the Science Building Feb. 26.

The threat, discovered at approximately 8:50 a.m., read “On Thursday I will blow this construction site to pieces. You were warned.” The threat was immediately reported to Auraria police who are conducting an investigation.

Auraria police Detective Jason Mollendor, who is leading the investigation, said the threat is being taken seriously, but the real threat to the Science Building was considered minimal.
“The Port-o-Potty walls are like bulletin boards, they are scrawled with graffiti,” he said. “The threat was vague and had no specifics.”

The threat lacked credibility but was treated as serious, Mollendor said.

The Auraria police conducted a walk-through of the Science Building construction site and surrounding grounds with Haselden Construction staff but found nothing suspicious, nor any reason for concern. The Auraria police would have needed a more concrete threat to call off class or close campus.

Police said they don’t believe there was ever any threat to the Science Building, students or contractors working on the building.

There are currently no suspects. However, “it did happen within the contained construction site which, is a secured facility, meaning the only people who can get in and out are the people working on the site,” said Blaine Nickeson, director of Communication and Installation Relations for Auraria.

Due to the ongoing investigation, the Auraria police could not release details about what is currently being done nor what action was being taken to find the culprit.

“We haven’t had any closings associated with the threat,” Nickeson said, nor are there expected to be any closures due to the threat.

Jacob’s Engineering, the managing company for the construction, referred all questions to the Auraria Higher Education Center and the Auraria police.

Representatives of Jacob’s Engineering stated they were leaving the investigation to the Auraria police and were not conducting their own investigation.

There have been three prior reports of trespassing at the construction site reported to the Auraria police since construction began, one of which resulted in an arrest.