A potential bomb threat aimed at the University resulted in the temporary closure and search of Knight Library and Lillis Business Complex on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings.
On Sunday night, a message was found written on a blackboard on the fourth floor of the Knight Library that seemed to indicate a bomb threat against the University. Capt. Ed Rinne of the University Department of Public Safety said the message roughly indicated that explosive devices would be placed and detonated in Lillis Business Complex and the Knight Library on the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 24. Rinne did not discuss further details of the message because he said there was an ongoing criminal investigation.
As a result of the posed threat, DPS conducted sweeps of both buildings, looking for any explosive devices on both Sunday and Monday night. Last night at 6 p.m., both buildings were shut down again and searched by the Eugene Police Department’s Explosives Disposal Unit with the assistance of a K-9 bomb sniffing unit from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service and DPS.
University spokesperson Phil Weiler said text message and e-mail warnings were not sent out Sunday and Monday evenings because it was thought the threat wasn’t imminent enough, and they didn’t want students to confuse the alerts with bad weather warnings that the University had already sent out.
EPD spokesperson Melinda McLaughlin declined to discuss any details of these operations, also citing an ongoing criminal investigation.
Most University students were first notified about the potential threat on campus and the proposed building closures through mass text messages and e-mails sent out by the University at approximately 1:20 p.m. Tuesday.
Some students seemed displeased with the sudden closures of Lillis and the Knight Library during the ninth week of fall term, as these are often popular study locations.
University junior Danny Lu said the closing of Knight Library affected his study time.
“We all had plans on studying, but these last minute switches make things difficult,” Lu said.
In addition, Lu said he disagreed with the University’s decision to only notify students two days after the initial bomb threat was made.
“There are maybe a thousand kids in (Knight Library), and they knew about a bomb threat the whole time?” Lu said.
University junior David Lee seemed to agree.
“I am little weirded out that they would do that and still let people in there,” Lee said.
Professor Deborah Carver, the Dean of Libraries at the Knight Library said she empathized with the dilemma facing students who use the library for studying during the shut down.
“We’re very aware of students needing access to this facility for studying purposes,” Carver said. “We understand that problem.”
As of press time, both Lillis and the Knight Library were still being searched, but there had been no reports of any uncovered explosive-related paraphernalia. 
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