Pitt-Bradford Bomb Threat
Similar to Pitt-Oakland Threats
The bomb threat that closed the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s Hanley Library late this morning was similar to the threats received at the university’s main campus.
Pat Frantz Cercone, Pitt-Bradford’s Director of Communications and Marketing, tells WESB and The Hero the threat came in an email, which was immediately forwarded to Campus Security Director Dan Songer, who was also contacted by phone. Songer ordered an evacuation of the building at just before 11 a.m. At the same time, voice, e-mail and text messages were sent to people in the campus community who subscribe to the emergency notification system, she said.
Police sealed off the building and established a perimeter, and Bob Rinfrette of the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department brought in his bomb dogs. The inside and outside of the building were thoroughly searched. No bomb was found, and people were told they could go back into the building at around 12:30 p.m., Cercone said.
The Bradford Township fire and police departments, Bradford City fire and police departments, Foster Township police, state police, and the McKean County Sheriff’s Department and Emergency Management Agency were all on the scene.
Cercone said the campus community is grateful to everyone who responded.
The university's main campus has received about 70 bomb threats since mid-February, including five this morning. At first, the messages were scrawled on restrooms walls of campus buildings. More recently, they have been e-mailed to various people on campus or to Pittsburgh media outlets.
Earlier this week, similar threats were received at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Blind, California University of Pennsylvania, Point Park University and the Community College of Allegheny County.
Computer security experts say the emails are being sent via "anonymous remailers," which can route them through several countries, making it very difficult to trace a message to its source.
The Pittsburgh Joint Terrorism Task Force is working on the case. The university is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
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Pat Frantz Cercone, Pitt-Bradford’s Director of Communications and Marketing, tells WESB and The Hero the threat came in an email, which was immediately forwarded to Campus Security Director Dan Songer, who was also contacted by phone. Songer ordered an evacuation of the building at just before 11 a.m. At the same time, voice, e-mail and text messages were sent to people in the campus community who subscribe to the emergency notification system, she said.
Police sealed off the building and established a perimeter, and Bob Rinfrette of the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department brought in his bomb dogs. The inside and outside of the building were thoroughly searched. No bomb was found, and people were told they could go back into the building at around 12:30 p.m., Cercone said.
The Bradford Township fire and police departments, Bradford City fire and police departments, Foster Township police, state police, and the McKean County Sheriff’s Department and Emergency Management Agency were all on the scene.
Cercone said the campus community is grateful to everyone who responded.
The university's main campus has received about 70 bomb threats since mid-February, including five this morning. At first, the messages were scrawled on restrooms walls of campus buildings. More recently, they have been e-mailed to various people on campus or to Pittsburgh media outlets.
Earlier this week, similar threats were received at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Blind, California University of Pennsylvania, Point Park University and the Community College of Allegheny County.
Computer security experts say the emails are being sent via "anonymous remailers," which can route them through several countries, making it very difficult to trace a message to its source.
The Pittsburgh Joint Terrorism Task Force is working on the case. The university is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
The news leader of the Twin Tiers ...since 1947
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