FBI notified about bomb threat

A bomb threat called in to the University's Security Department on Oct. 11 led to the notification of both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Secret Service.

The Security Department incident report states that the Security Communications Assitant received a phone call at 12:15 a.m. from a male caller naming the University as the target of a bomb. According to the report, no specific location was given as a target by the caller. The report went on to say that the Baltimore City Police Department was called at 12:17 a.m., after which security officers contacted other Johns Hopkins campuses. Security officials at JHMI, Peabody Conservatory, Bayview Medical Center and the Applied Physics Laboratory were all notified by 3 a.m.

However, according to Special Agent Peter A. Gulotta, the FBI's Maryland Division Media Representative, "the information was funneled to [the FBI] after someone called the Montgomery County Police Department" with a bomb threat. "We were notified by the Montgomery County Police Department," said Gulotta. The call on Oct. 11 was received by the FBI at 6:06 a.m.

After the call came in, the Homewood Academic Computing Lab in Krieger Hall and the Hutzler Undergraduate Library in Gilman Hall were closed. The Milton S. Eisenhower Library remained open until its normal closing time of 2 a.m. The library was searched by security officers without being evacuated.

In cases of a bomb threat, the protocol of the FBI is to notify the authorities with jurisdiction over the area. When the FBI is informed of a possible threat, the next step is to notify the Secret Service.

"The Secret Service in Washington, D.C. gets notified in all bomb threats that we know of," said Gulotta.

Gulotta confirmed that notifying Secret Service is standard procedure. "We are required regardless of where the bomb threat is to contact Secret Service," said Gulotta. In any such event "we telephonically advise [the target] and follow up with a form letter."

Security Investigator Dennis Rosemary said that he "know[s] of no arrests in the case."

The FBI does not actively participate in the handling unless the need arises. Gulotta said that they never opened up a case on it.

"It was a less than credible threat," said Rosemary.

Gulotta acknowledged that although all threats must be handled in the same manner, "these things happen" and are not necessarily a cause for alarm.

Staff Writer Matt O'Brien contributed to this report.