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March 5, 2013

Suspicious package turns out empty

By Joseph Hamrick The Commerce Journal

COMMERCE — Reports of an alleged bomb threat at Whitley Hall that occured early morning on Feb. 24 turned out to be exaggerated, according to Lt. Jason Bone, crime information officer with the University Police Department.

At around 2 a.m., Texas A&M University-Commerce staff found a big metal box with the name “God’s gift” written on the side of it. No one had made a call to the university or police department with a bomb threat.

Bone said by judging what was written on the side of it, Whitley Hall staff thought it necessary to order an evacuation of the building in order to confirm whether or not it was indeed a bomb threat.

According to Bone, the university’s student newspaper, The East Texan, prematurely printed an article in the Feb. 28 issue stating a bomb threat was issued.

“They did not interview me, or to my knowledge any of the university’s officers,” he said.

When officers opened the suspicious package, Bone said they found the box was empty, save a live wasp that had somehow snuck its way in.

“It was an overabundance of caution,” Bone said. But added that he is glad the staff took every precaution to ensure the safety of the students in Whitley. “I would rather them empty out the hall and people lose sleep than something bad to happen.”

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