Campus Alert Archive
WIU

A Curious Freshman Uses RoboTalker to Phone In Nine Bomb Threats to His Old Dorm

ILbomb threatemergency notificationmedium 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.

Cameron McKoy, 18, a former Western Illinois University student from Chicago, made nine hoax bomb threats to Tanner Hall between October 25 and November 11, 2010, telling investigators he was curious about the university's response time. Each call prompted building evacuations, bomb-squad sweeps, and activation of WIU's Emergency Alert System. McKoy was arrested on November 16, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Western Illinois University
Public Masters · IL
WIU Emergency Alert System
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages 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 ALERTphone
Approximate reconstruction176 chars
WIU ALERT: Bomb threat received at Tanner Hall. The building has been evacuated. Students in Bayliss and Henninger Halls should remain in their rooms. Bomb squad is responding.

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

The initial call came in to Tanner Hall between 3:20 and 3:30 p.m. CST on October 25, 2010; the Office of Public Safety was notified at approximately 3:30 p.m. and the building was evacuated at 3:40 p.m.
McKoy later told investigators he made this first call simply because he was curious about how quickly the university would respond
Tanner Hall is a freshman residence hall on the Macomb, Illinois campus; Bayliss and Henninger are adjacent residence halls
UPDATESMS+9d
Approximate reconstruction152 chars
WIU ALERT: Bomb threat received at Tanner Hall. Building is being evacuated. Emergency Alert System activated. Secretary of State Bomb Squad responding.

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

McKoy made the second and subsequent threats using RoboTalker.com, an automated calling service, to mask his identity
The November 4 call came in at approximately 1:15 p.m. CST; the Secretary of State Bomb Squad and an Adams County Sheriff canine unit were called in to assist
This alert explicitly noted activation of the Emergency Alert System, reflecting WIU's improved response protocol after the first incident
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction149 chars
WIU ALERT: All clear. Tanner Hall has been searched by the bomb squad and no device was found. The building is now open. Thank you for your patience.

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

Each of the nine threats followed the same pattern: call received, building evacuated, bomb squad sweep, all-clear issued
The repeated false alarms created significant disruption to Tanner Hall residents and neighboring buildings across a three-week period from October 25 to November 11
Context

Background

Western Illinois University is a regional public university in Macomb, Illinois, with approximately 10,000 students. Tanner Hall is a freshman dormitory, and Cameron McKoy, 18, had briefly enrolled at WIU before leaving. Between October 25 and November 11, 2010, he made nine hoax bomb threat calls to Tanner Hall, beginning with a personal phone call and then switching to RoboTalker.com, an automated calling service, to mask his identity. Each call forced the evacuation of Tanner Hall, deployment of the Secretary of State Bomb Squad and county canine units, and activation of WIU's Emergency Alert System -- a pattern that created sustained disruption for residents and neighboring Bayliss and Henninger Halls. When arrested on November 16, McKoy told authorities he acted out of idle curiosity about the university's response time. The FBI indicted McKoy in December 2010 and he later pleaded guilty, receiving a sentence of 12 months and one day in federal prison. The case illustrated a common category of campus bomb threats in the early SMS-notification era: single individuals testing institutional response rather than pursuing ideological or personal grievance motives.
Outcome
No explosive device found in any sweep. McKoy arrested November 16, 2010. Sentenced to 12 months and one day, including time served.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Grand Jury Indicts Former Student for Alleged Bomb Threats at Western Illinois University (FBI)
    archives.fbi.gov
  2. Official
    Former WIU Student Sentenced for Making Hoax Bomb Threats (FBI)
    archives.fbi.gov
  3. News
    Another Bomb Threat at WIU (TSPR News)
    tspr.org
  4. Student Paper
    Bomb threat empties Tanner (Western Courier)
    westerncourier.com
  5. News
    McKoy pleads guilty to WIU bomb threat (KHQA)
    khqa.com
  6. Official
    Former WIU Student Sentenced (US DOJ, Central District of Illinois)
    justice.gov
Tags
bomb-threatrepeat-threathoaxresidence-hallpublic-mastersillinoisrobocallfederal-prosecution2010Hoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion