Emergency personnel respond to an apparent bomb threat at the Smith Building on the Utah Tech University campus Tuesday afternoon, July 19, 2022 | Photo by Truman Burgess, St. George News
ST. GEORGE — A bomb threat forced evacuations on the Utah Tech University campus, specifically the Smith Building and Cox, Burns, Sports Medicine and Habibian, according to the DSU Safe app.
Eyewitness Alexis Barrett told St. George News in a phone conversation: “Huge emergency response …
Police with weapons drawn … Street closure at 400 S and 700 East.”
DSU Safe transmitted a message at 3:33 p.m. Tuesday afternoon:
There has been a bomb threat at Smith Building. Please evacuate immediately. The Smith and surrounding building have been evacuated. The building is being searched. Avoid the area and remain out of the buildings.
As of 4:14 p.m., however, the DSU Safe app transmitted another message indicating “No bomb found. The Smith Building and all other buildings are clear and open.”
St. George Police office Tiffany Mitchell confirmed via video while on the seen that “we have had a report of a bomb threat at the university so the area is shut down … we want you to avoid the area. We have special investigation teams out looking into this. We are treating this as a credible threat.”
Utah Tech spokeswoman Jyl Hall told St. George News the bomb threat was made via telephone around 3 p.m. and that the bomb specifically would be in the Smith Computing Center. Police were dispatched immediately. After a primary and secondary search came up with nothing, the police left the St. George Police officers departed the scene but campus police still had the building locked down.
This is a developing story.
Updated July 19 4:20 p.m.: Confirms no bomb found and buildings have been re-opened.
Photo Gallery
DSU Safe, the official safety app of Utah Tech, provided updated information about Tuesday’s bomb threat | Screenshot, St. George News
Smith Building was evacuated during the bomb threat at Utah Tech, July 19, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Alexis Barrett, St. George News
Smith Building was evacuated during the bomb threat at Utah Tech, July 19, 2022 | Photo by Truman Burgess St. George News
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