Princeton

Bomb Threat Forces Evacuation of Princeton's Most Iconic Buildings, From Nassau Hall to Firestone Library

Saturday, September 19, 2020NJbomb threatemergency notificationhigh confidence

Confirmed HoaxDetermined to be a hoax. The institutional response is documented because it reveals how the alert system performed under a perceived real threat.

A caller claimed to have placed improvised explosive devices in four of Princeton's most prominent buildings: Firestone Library, Nassau Hall, the University Chapel, and the Art Museum. The Department of Public Safety issued a TigerAlert at 11:11 a.m. ordering evacuations, and all buildings were cleared within approximately two hours.

Alerts: 2
Response: —
Killed: —
Injured: —

Institution

Princeton University

Private R1 · NJ

~8,623 studentsTigerAlert

Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence · 2 verified verbatim

INITIAL ALERTSMSSep 19, 2020, 3:11 PM EDT

Verified verbatimThe Daily Princetonian — TigerAlert quoted verbatim415 chars

This is NOT a test. A bomb threat was received for the Art Museum, Firestone Library, Nassau Hall and the Chapel. The Department of Public Safety has issued an evacuation order for these buildings. Please collect your personal items including your car keys. Leave your door unlocked and open to allow the area to be inspected. Calmly leave the building and go to your building's designated evacuation assembly area.

Sent at 11:11 a.m. EDT on September 19, 2020 (a Saturday); the campus was operating under COVID-19 restrictions

The four targeted buildings are among Princeton's most iconic structures: Nassau Hall (1756) houses the university president's office, Firestone Library is the main research library, and the Chapel is one of the largest university chapels in the world

The instruction to leave doors unlocked and open is standard procedure to facilitate bomb squad inspections

ALL CLEARSMSSep 19, 2020, 5:05 PM EDT+1h 54m

Verified verbatimPlanet Princeton quoting the verbatim TigerAlert all-clear text sent at 1:05 PM EDT on September 19, 2020, corroborated by The Daily Princetonian132 chars

Public Safety has confirmed there is no threat and has issued an ALL CLEAR related to the bomb threat. Normal activities can resume.

Sent at 1:05 PM EDT on September 19, 2020, after sweeps of all four buildings by law enforcement confirmed no explosive devices

The phrasing 'Public Safety has confirmed there is no threat and has issued an ALL CLEAR' is the institutional attribution form -- crediting DPS rather than asserting the all-clear from the alert system itself

Princeton's campus was operating at reduced capacity during the fall 2020 semester due to COVID-19 restrictions, meaning fewer people were physically present in the targeted buildings

Context

Background

On the morning of September 19, 2020, Princeton University's Department of Public Safety received a bomb threat claiming that improvised explosive devices had been placed in four buildings on the main campus. The threat targeted some of the university's most historically significant structures, including Nassau Hall, which dates to 1756 and briefly served as the capitol of the United States. The campus was operating under COVID-19 restrictions at the time, with reduced in-person activity. A multi-agency investigation eventually led to the arrest of a 15-year-old from Saskatoon, Canada, who was apprehended at his grandparents' home in South Vacherie, Louisiana, in March 2021. The investigation involved the Regional Enforcement Allied Computer Team in California, the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, and Edmonton city police. The teen pleaded guilty and was found to be connected to multiple swatting incidents across the country.

Analysis

Key Findings

The two-hour gap between receiving the threat (around 9:00 a.m.) and sending the TigerAlert (11:11 a.m.) suggests extensive threat assessment before notification

The four targeted buildings represent Princeton's administrative, academic, spiritual, and cultural centers, maximizing disruption

The arrest of a 15-year-old Canadian teen six months later demonstrated the cross-border complexity of swatting investigations

COVID-19 restrictions meant the campus was less populated than usual, reducing the number of people directly affected by the evacuation

Outcome

No explosive devices were found. A 15-year-old from Saskatoon, Canada, was later arrested in Louisiana in March 2021 and pleaded guilty to the swatting call.

Provenance

Sources

Official
UPDATE: All clear following bomb threat - Princeton University
princeton.edu
Student Paper
U. issues 'All Clear' following bomb threat - The Daily Princetonian
dailyprincetonian.com
News
Saskatoon teen charged with swatting bomb threat at Princeton University - CBC News
cbc.ca
News
Teen Charged In Bomb Threat At Princeton University - Patch
patch.com

Alert Sequence

Background

Key Findings

Sources

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