By STEVE EIGHINGER

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

MACOMB, Ill. -- Cameron Bohnstedt could measure the intensity by the rhythm in his chest.

"My heart was pounding," he said.

Bohnstedt, a Western Illinois University freshman from Quincy, found himself in the midst of a lockdown at midmorning Wednesday on the WIU campus.

A handwritten note threatening a shooting had been reported found at an off-campus apartment complex. The lockdown ended shortly before noon.

Classes resumed on a normal schedule today across the 11,000-student campus.

The note prompted increased law enforcement presence at the school after an employee in the apartment complex discovered the note, which was left in a drop box either late Tuesday or early Wednesday, WIU officials said.

"Basically, the letter said there would be a shooting on campus (Wednesday)," said Robert Fitzgerald, head of WIU public safety.

No other details about the note were released. No suspect is in custody, according to Macomb police.

"At first, when the news came about what was going on, I was thinking about what would be the best route to take to get back to my dorm," Bohnstedt said. "I was sitting in botany class when it (all started)."

Bohnstedt said a girl in the back of the lecture hall where the botany class was being held received a text message about the situation and relayed the information.

"While this is an anonymous off-campus threat, it is imperative that we take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our students," WIU President Al Goldfarb said.

Goldfarb's wife, Ellen, put up a $1,000 award Wednesday for information leading to the arrest of whoever was responsible for writing the note.

Illinois State Police, the Macomb Police Department and the McDonough County Sheriff's Department assisted WIU

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officials.

"We are investigating the incident and will prosecute the individual responsible to the fullest extent of the law," Goldfarb said.

Quincy Notre Dame graduate Luke Greenwell, a fourth-year WIU student who is on the university soccer team, said the classroom where he was locked down was reopened about 11 a.m.

"I was pretty nervous at first, because you start thinking about (the shooting tragedies) at Northern Illinois and Virginia Tech," Greenwell said.

As time wore on, Greenwell said the mood lightened when it became apparent the threat was that and nothing more. Greenwell went to his off-campus apartment after being allowed to leave the classroom. He said the campus began to return to normal as the afternoon progressed.

"After a while, people started walking around campus again," Greenwell said.

The university activated an alert system about 9:30 a.m., shortly after the note was reported, WIU spokesman Bonnie Barker said.

The system was introduced last year after the shooting at Virginia Tech left 32 people dead. Included in the system are automatic alerts by cell phone text message and e-mail.

-- seighinger@whig.com/221-3377