Hiram College cleared after email bomb threat

HIRAM, Ohio - Hiram College issued a mandatory evacuation of its campus Friday evening, according to the school’s website .

At about 5 p.m., students received a campus alert that stated the college had received a bomb threat.

"We got a mass text saying that there's a possible bomb threat on campus and just stay tuned … ten minutes later, they texted us again and they said everybody evacuate the campus, grab what you can and just get away from the campus as you can," said Hiram College Junior, Denzel Lamonthe.

Lamonthe was one of over 800-students living in the Hiram College dorms evacuated Friday afternoon. Authorities reported receiving a bomb threat via text after 4 p. m. and quickly alerted the private college.

Police from Hiram Village, Garrettsville and Mantua were searched the campus, with the help of bomb-sniffing dogs.  The dorms were swept and cleared shortly after 7 p.m. Ford said once all the sweeps are complete, students will be allowed to return. That didn't happen until nearly 10 p.m.

One phone call from Diane Lucky's daughters sent the mother of two Hiram students racing to get from Cleveland to the college.  Lucky got to the Firehouse at around 6 p.m. and said the entire hour driving, all she could think about was, "Oh my gosh, I got to get my babies.  But it's also angering too because what if it's just a joke for somebody, that one person is laughing but the rest of us aren't laughing." 

Lucky's daughters were two of about six or more students waiting-out the mass evacuation and campus sweep at the Hiram Firehouse.  A second location for students to wait was at the Hiram Christian Church. 

Text alerts sent to students read, "Hiram recently received a bomb threat.  We are taking this seriously, have notified local and federal authorities."  But the text reading, "Several other campuses received similar threats ..., " is what had Lamonthe, at first, believing it was all part of an organized attack. 

"It is scary that it is this close to 9-11 and we're not the only school that they're saying had an attack or had a threat like this," said Lamonthe. 

"It's just frustrating all around the board, whether it's a big university or a small private college like this," said Lucky as got in her S.U.V. to go back to Cleveland. 

Police cleared the school late Friday, allowing students back into the dorms.   Ed Samec, Hiram's Police Chief said they did not take this threat lightly and told NewsChanel5, "I promise you, if we find the source, the person that initiated this, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent."

So far, there are no words of any arrests.