A suspicious package found in Mathes Hall last Friday led to a visit from the Johnson City Police Department, bomb squad and fire department. Classes were disrupted when Burleson, Mathes and Ball halls were closed from 8:30-11:30 a.m.
The large box, wrapped in Christmas paper with an unmarked card, was discovered by a faculty member. “She reported it to her chair who reported it to public safety,” said Dr. Wilsie Bishop, vice president for administration.
The package which was later discovered to be an empty box accidentally left by students getting rid of props kept in storage; was found in the stairwell on the first floor. “Some students were cleaning out some things and just forgot about it,” said Terry Story, deputy chief of public safety.
The location, the Christmas wrapping in March, the timing and the fact that the package was unlabeled are all factors that made it suspicious. “It met all the criteria for a suspicious package and no one claimed ownership of it,” Bishop said.
The three-hour delay had students walking around yellow police tape to attend classes in other buildings, while others waited anxiously watching the event from Gilbreath and nearby halls.
Not at all scared about the potential bomb, but more worried about having to actually return to classes. Kristen Townley, a music performance major, said she came to school an hour early to complete her assignment before her 11:30 class, and with the halls closed, she couldn’t do her homework, but she would still have to attend class. “Actually I was walking to class today, then I see all this,” she said.
Others were excited by the drama, “I’m psyched,” said Barrett Iroler, 21, adding that he hoped no one gets hurt but he was almost sure, that there wasn’t a bomb in the building, “Ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s nothing,” he said of bomb scares.
It wasn’t long before a member of the bomb squad, dressed like a green astronaut, headed into the building, and a small explosion was heard. The box, already X-rayed and believed to be empty, was destroyed on site. “I guess we got the best possible outcome of the situation, in that no one was hurt,” Bishop said.
After all was said and done, the suspicious package turned out to be an empty box left accidentally, not a bomb or a prank.
“I’m glad to know that we don’t have someone that was being malicious or trying to create trouble,” Bishop said.
She added that although students missed time from classes, the administration had to take the necessary precautions and that there may have been some good from the situation.
“I think it was a chance to see what kind of emergency system the university had,” she said noting that the emergency ALERT page was used on the ETSU web site and also it was a chance to recognize where improvements can be made in the event of a real emergency.

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