MACOMB, Ill. — Western Illinois University was on lockdown this morning after an employee of an off-campus apartment complex reported receiving a handwritten note indicating there would a shooting on campus today.
The Office of Public Safety at Western Illinois University and Macomb police are investigating the threat, which was received overnight. OPS Director Bob Fitzgerald said the apartment employee found the note in the complex’s payment drop-box.
Residence halls were locked this morning and were accessible only by residents with keys. Students were told they could remain in their residence halls and apartments and would not be penalized for missing classes.
“While this is an anonymous off-campus threat, it is imperative that we take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our students, staff and faculty,” WIU President Al Goldfarb said.
Stephanie Elkins, a senior at WIU, said her mother called her at about 9:50 this morning as she was looking for a parking spot before she went to class.
“She said, ‘Where are you? Do not go to class,’ ” Elkins said. “She said there was an e-mail alert, and then I look around, and everyone I see is on their cell phone walking away from campus.
“Everyone’s kind of in a panic around here. Some people are freaking out more than others. No one’s going to class today unless you’re an idiot.”
Elkins said she was spending the morning in her off-campus apartment with some friends before she planned to head out in the afternoon to run some errands.
“We’re all just sitting around here talking about this,” said Elkins, who went to high school in Texas but moved to Quincy with her parents, D.J. and Bob, shortly after she graduated. “It’s just really uncomfortable to be in a college setting right now.
“Even if there isn’t someone writing a death threat, you still think: Is today a day that someone is going to be in a bad mood. I always sits in the rows closest to a door, because I wonder that if something happened, how would I get out? I even told my mom that I’ve been having nightmares about this.”
Police patrols, with assistance from the Illinois State Police, Macomb Police Department and the McDonough County Sheriff’s Office, have been increased and are highly present on the WIU campus, Fitzgerald said.
He said any unusual or suspicious activity should be reported immediately to the Office of Public Safety by calling 911 from any campus phone or 298-1949. There also are 51 emergency callboxes located throughout campus.
Goldfarb said the university is working with Macomb police in an effort to find the person or persons responsible for the threat.
“We are investigating this incident, and we will prosecute the individual responsible to the fullest extent of the law,” Goldfarb said.
A warning alert was issued using Western’s Emergency Alert System.