MACOMB, ILL. -- UPDATE: November 5 at 5:48 p.m.
A third bomb threat was called into Tanner Hall on Western Illinois University's campus this afternoon.
This is the third threat in two weeks.
The first was October 28th, the second was yesterday.
Students were evacuated from the dorm around two thirty this afternoon and were able to return to around four thirty.
The FBI and Office of Public Safety conducted two searches of the building.
They didn't find any explosives in either searches.
"It's really inconvenient because if we live here, we're stuck and for classes, I know yesterday I lucked out and didn't have class when it happened but I know a lot of people who their professors aren't as understanding when they don't have material or their missing class because this is all going on," said WIU freshman Caitey Hitchins.
Some of the students are so fed up, they're thinking about moving.
"All of our friends on the 9th and 10th floors they want to talk about moving out of the dorms because we don't want to deal with this every time -- fire drills every night. Just a lot of frustration to have to deal with this with school and stuff," said freshman Anthony Gillette.
"A lot of us are looking to move out next year to either get apartments and stuff for next semester because it breaks our study habits and also we've been losing a lot of sleep lately and we've also had threats where we haven't had to leave the building but we've had to worry about them," said freshman Eric Pritz.
"Everybody's getting frustrated about it. No one wants to live here. Obviously no one wants to live in a dorm that keeps getting bomb threats," said Gillette.
WIU President Al Goldfarb and Vice President Garry Johnson will reward individuals with up to three thousand dollars for information leading to an arrest but so far, no leads.
"I know they're offering a reward for who ever finds out who it is and I know some floors got taken away to ask questions by the police but I haven't heard anyone who it is though," said Pritz.
The students just want it all to be over.
"Hopefully this will all stop and we can just go back to school and not have to worry about this stuff," said Gillette.
The students in Tanner hall have also had to deal with thirteen fire alarms this semester.
Individuals with information about the anonymous bomb threats called into Tanner Hall Nov. 4 and Nov. 5 on the Western Illinois University-Macomb campus should contact the WIU Office of Public Safety at (309) 298-1949.
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UPDATE: November 5 at 4:41 p.m.
Western Illinois University students living in Tanner Hall may return to the residence hall.
The Office of Public Safety and other emergency personnel have completed a thorough search of Tanner Hall and determined that the building may re-open. The Office of Public Safety and the FBI is continuing the investigation.
Individuals with information about the anonymous bomb threats called into Tanner Hall Nov. 4 and Nov. 5 on the Western Illinois University-Macomb campus should contact the WIU Office of Public Safety at (309) 298-1949.
Individuals with information leading to an arrest may be eligible to receive Western's Stop the Threat Fund through the WIU Foundation, which includes an initial $500 reward, and an additional $2,000 reward, donated by President and Mrs. Elaine Goldfarb and Vice President for Student Services Garry Johnson. The fund was established in March 2009 in response to two previous unfounded threats.
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UPDATE: November 5 at 3:48 p.m.
The investigation is continuing into another bomb threat made this afternoon at Western Illinois University.
The threat, which was made by an unknown subject, was called into Tanner Hall at approximately 2:30 p.m.
The hall clerk notified the Office of Public Safety, and the building was immediately evacuated. Western's Emergency Alert System was activated to notify faculty, staff and students of the threat. This is the third bomb threat concerning Tanner Hall in 12 days.
The Office of Public Safety is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding both the Nov. 4 and Nov. 5 threats. The latest threat referenced only the building, not a specific floor, but indicated a timeframe. The Office of Public Safety and other emergency personnel are currently conducting a search of the building. Additional patrols will be on duty this evening.
"The University will prosecute the individual responsible to the fullest extent of the law. This behavior will not be tolerated," said Vice President for Student Services Garry Johnson.
Once the all-clear is given, students will be allowed to return to Tanner. Approximately 800 freshmen reside in Tanner Hall.
Officials said the incident could be subject to federal prosecution as well as state charges. If a Western student is charged as a result of the investigation, the student would be subject to University judicial charges
and possible expulsion. When an individual is convicted, he/she can, under state statute, be held liable for costs incurred during the investigation.
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Western Illinois University's Office of Public Safety is reporting that another bomb threat has been called into Tanner Hall on the WIU-Macomb campus.
Tanner Hall has been evacuated, according to Director of Public Safety Robert Fitzgerald.
The threat was called to the Tanner Hall clerk's office at approximately 2:30 p.m. today (Nov. 5).
Police officers responded to the scene and an investigation is underway.
Classes are still being held.
Fitzgerald noted that are no further details at this point and more information will be posted at wiu.edu as it becomes available.
On Nov. 4 and Oct. 25, a bomb threat was called into the Tanner Hall clerk's office. The building was evacuated during each instance. A student was arrested on charges of transmitting a threat of destruction to a school in connection with the Oct. 25 incident.
There has not been an arrest at this time for the Nov. 4 threat.
In both instances, specially-trained canines and their handlers from the Adams County Sheriff's Department and during the Nov. 4 threat, the Secretary of State Bomb Squad, conducted a search of Tanner Hall.
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