Campus Alert Archive
PCC

A Bomb Threat Next Door Empties the Downtown Campus

AZbomb threatemergency notificationmedium confidence
UnfoundedNo evidence of an actual threat was found. The institutional response is documented because the alert communication is identical to what would occur during a real incident.

Pima Community College evacuated buildings at its Downtown Campus on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 6, 2022, after a bomb threat sent to nearby St. Elizabeth's Health Center prompted a precautionary evacuation. KGUN9 reported the threat targeted the health center near Stone Avenue and Speedway Boulevard rather than the college itself. KOLD reported the threat was cleared with no device found.

Alerts
1
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
Pima Community College
Community College · AZ
~45,000 studentsPimaAlert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction204 chars
PimaAlert: Buildings at the Downtown Campus are being evacuated due to a bomb threat at a nearby facility. Please leave the area and await further information. Do not re-enter until an all-clear is given.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news descriptions of PCC's evacuation notice; no archived verbatim copy was located, so it is marked unconfirmed.
The threat was not aimed at the college but at adjacent St. Elizabeth's Health Center, illustrating how urban community-college campuses inherit risk from neighboring buildings.
PCC opted for evacuation rather than shelter-in-place because the suspected device was at a nearby external facility, not inside campus buildings.
Context

Background

Pima Community College's Downtown Campus sits in central Tucson near the corner of Stone Avenue and Speedway Boulevard. On the afternoon of September 6, 2022, a bomb threat was sent to St. Elizabeth's Health Center at 140 W. Speedway Blvd., a facility near the campus, according to KGUN9. Though the threat was not directed at PCC, college officials evacuated buildings at the Downtown Campus as a precaution while authorities investigated a 'suspicious item.' KOLD reported the threat was cleared that same afternoon with no explosive device found. PCC documents timely warnings and bulletins through its campus police office. The incident is distinct from later PCC lockdowns at the Northwest and El Rio campuses.
Analysis

Key Findings

An urban community-college campus evacuated because of a bomb threat at an adjacent off-campus health center, not a threat to the college itself
PCC chose evacuation over shelter-in-place because the suspected device was outside campus buildings
The verbatim alert is reconstructed from local-news coverage; no archived copy was located
Outcome
Police cleared the threat after a 'suspicious item' was investigated at St. Elizabeth's Health Center. No explosive device was found and the all-clear was given the same afternoon.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Bomb threat is all clear after a 'suspicious item' found near Pima Community College downtown campus - KGUN9
    kgun9.com
  2. News
    UPDATE: Bomb threat cleared in downtown Tucson - KOLD
    kold.com
  3. News
    Bomb threat reported near Pima Community College campus - KOLD
    kold.com
  4. Official
    Timely Warnings/Bulletins - Pima Community College
    pima.edu
Tags
bomb-threatevacuationemergency-notificationarizonacommunity-collegeunfoundedUnfounded
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion