{
  "id": "2025-02-19-cal-state-monterey-bay-library-bomb-threat",
  "slug": "cal-state-monterey-bay-library-bomb-threat-2025-02-19",
  "institution": {
    "name": "California State University, Monterey Bay",
    "shortName": "CSUMB",
    "state": "CA",
    "type": "public-masters",
    "alertSystemName": "OtterAlert",
    "enrollment": 7000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-02-19",
    "type": "bomb-threat",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-hoax",
    "headline": "Phoned-in library bomb threat evacuates residence halls; determined a hoax",
    "headlinePublic": "Phoned-in library bomb threat evacuates residence halls; determined a hoax",
    "summary": "On the night of February 19, 2025, a [phoned-in bomb threat to the Tanimura and Antle Family Library at California State University, Monterey Bay](https://thelutrinae.com/2025/02/bomb-threat-causes-csumb-library-and-nearby-residence-halls-to-be-evacuated/) prompted evacuation of the library and Area One residence halls. The first OtterAlert went out at 10:05 PM PST, 45 minutes after a student-assistant received the threatening call at the library front desk at 9:20 PM PST. The all-clear came [just before 1 AM PST Thursday morning](https://kioncentralcoast.com/news/top-stories/2025/02/20/bomb-threat-hoax-at-csumb-leads-to-evacuations-fbi-investigation/) after a multi-agency K-9 sweep with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office Explosives team.",
    "outcome": "No explosive devices were found. The FBI joined the investigation. The threat was determined to be a hoax. Students were sent to the Otter Student Union for shelter during the search.",
    "casualties": {
      "killed": 0,
      "injured": 0
    }
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2025-02-19T22:05:00-08:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "an emergency has occurred at {the library}, police officers are responding. Library has been evacuated. Stay Clear of the area.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://thelutrinae.com/2025/04/anatomy-of-an-emergency-behind-the-library-bomb-threat/",
      "sourceDescription": "The Lutrinae (CSUMB student newspaper) quoting the exact OtterAlert template text including {the library} placeholder",
      "annotations": [
        "The curly braces around 'the library' and the lowercase 'an emergency has occurred' reflect template-engine syntax exposed in the live message",
        "OtterAlert is intentionally non-specific in initial messaging to avoid panic, per CSUMB Emergency Manager Ken Folsom"
      ],
      "characterCount": 127
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestampApprox": "Approximately 11:00 PM PST on February 19, 2025",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from The Lutrinae and KAZU reporting",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestampApprox": "Just before 1:00 AM PST on February 20, 2025",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from The Lutrinae and KION reporting",
      "annotations": []
    }
  ],
  "context": "At 9:20 PM PST on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, [a student assistant managing the front desk of the Tanimura and Antle Family Library](https://thelutrinae.com/2025/02/bomb-threat-causes-csumb-library-and-nearby-residence-halls-to-be-evacuated/) received a phone call saying there was a bomb in the library. The library was evacuated and CSUMB's first OtterAlert went out at [10:05 PM PST](https://thelutrinae.com/2025/04/anatomy-of-an-emergency-behind-the-library-bomb-threat/), a 45-minute delay that CSUMB Emergency Manager Ken Folsom said reflected the time required to verify the threat. Resident advisors then began evacuating Area One residence halls door-to-door, with students directed to the Otter Student Union. CSUMB University Police, Marina Police and the [Monterey County Sheriff's Office Explosives K-9 team](https://kioncentralcoast.com/news/top-stories/2025/02/20/bomb-threat-hoax-at-csumb-leads-to-evacuations-fbi-investigation/) conducted the search. No devices were found and the all-clear was issued just before 1 AM PST. The FBI joined the [hoax investigation](https://www.kazu.org/kazu-news/2025-02-21/counties-launch-survey-on-moss-landing-fire-concerns-and-cal-state-monterey-bay-responds-to-a-bomb-threat).",
  "keyFindings": [
    "The first OtterAlert exposed template syntax ('{the library}' rendered with curly braces) illustrating how mass-notification systems can leak unprocessed placeholder text under time pressure",
    "The 45-minute gap between threat receipt (9:20 PM PST) and first alert (10:05 PM PST) is consistent with CSUMB's stated policy of verifying before broadcasting",
    "Door-to-door RA evacuation of residence halls is standard for nighttime threats when residents may be asleep and not check phones"
  ],
  "responseTimeMinutes": 45,
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Bomb threat causes CSUMB Library and nearby residence halls to be evacuated (The Lutrinae)",
      "url": "https://thelutrinae.com/2025/02/bomb-threat-causes-csumb-library-and-nearby-residence-halls-to-be-evacuated/",
      "type": "student-newspaper"
    },
    {
      "title": "Anatomy of an emergency: behind the library bomb threat (The Lutrinae)",
      "url": "https://thelutrinae.com/2025/04/anatomy-of-an-emergency-behind-the-library-bomb-threat/",
      "type": "student-newspaper"
    },
    {
      "title": "Bomb threat hoax at CSUMB leads to evacuations, FBI investigation (KION)",
      "url": "https://kioncentralcoast.com/news/top-stories/2025/02/20/bomb-threat-hoax-at-csumb-leads-to-evacuations-fbi-investigation/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Cal State Monterey Bay responds to a bomb threat (KAZU)",
      "url": "https://www.kazu.org/kazu-news/2025-02-21/counties-launch-survey-on-moss-landing-fire-concerns-and-cal-state-monterey-bay-responds-to-a-bomb-threat",
      "type": "local-media"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "bomb-threat",
    "library",
    "evacuation",
    "california",
    "csumb",
    "k9-search",
    "fbi-investigation",
    "template-leak",
    "residence-halls",
    "hoax"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-03",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-18",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}