CHICAGO – Officials of a Catholic liberal arts college shut down the school indefinitely yesterday and told students to leave after threatening messages were found scrawled in a freshman dorm.
Graffiti were found twice this month at St. Xavier University's Regina Hall, including a message Thursday that read, “Be prepared to die on 4/14,” President Judith Dwyer said in a statement.
Officials closed campuses in Chicago and suburban Orland Park and canceled classes for the school's 5,700 students. Buildings where community events are planned will remain open, Dwyer said.
“On the advice of the multiple law enforcement agencies pursuing the case, we have chosen to close Saint Xavier University indefinitely beginning tonight due to the specific nature of the second message,” Dwyer said.
Security has been increased, including the use of Chicago police and the FBI, said Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond. “We continue to monitor the situation with our federal partners, and we have increased security around the area as a precaution,” Bond said.
No one was in custody last night. Students began leaving dorms yesterday to meet today's noon deadline for the closure, police said.
Graffiti were first found April 5 in a bathroom stall at the coed dorm. The message was of a “threatening but nonspecific nature,” the school said in a statement. It was reported to campus authorities and Chicago police. Then officials found the second message referencing the threat for Monday.
