{
  "id": "2021-11-30-utrgv-edinburg-cess-building-fake-explosive-evacuation",
  "slug": "utrgv-edinburg-cess-building-fake-explosive-evacuation-2021-11-30",
  "institution": {
    "name": "University of Texas Rio Grande Valley",
    "shortName": "UTRGV",
    "state": "TX",
    "type": "public-r2",
    "enrollment": 33000,
    "alertSystemName": "UTRGV Emergency Alert System"
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2021-11-30",
    "type": "suspicious-package",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "headline": "Suspicious package prompts building evacuation; determined to be a fake explosive device",
    "headlinePublic": "Suspicious package prompts building evacuation; determined to be a fake explosive device",
    "summary": "On November 30, 2021, [UTRGV Police](https://www.utrgv.edu/police/) were notified of a suspicious package found in the surplus warehouse of the off-campus [Community Engagement and Student Success (CESS) Building](https://www.utrgvrider.com/suspicious-package-discovered-at-utrgv-edinburg-cess-building-individuals-in-the-building-asked-to-evacuate/) in Edinburg. The campus mass notification system was activated, the building was evacuated, and the McAllen Bomb Squad was called in. [The package was determined to be a fake explosive device](https://myrgv.com/local-news/2021/11/30/police-evacuating-utrgv-building-after-suspicious-package-found/), and an all-clear was issued approximately two hours after the initial alert.",
    "outcome": "Fake explosive device confirmed by McAllen Bomb Squad. No injuries. All-clear issued approximately two hours after initial alert. CESS Building returned to normal operations.",
    "resolution": "confirmed-hoax"
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Tuesday morning, November 30, 2021",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from KRGV Channel 5, Valley Central (KVEO-TV), The Rider Newspaper, and MyRGV reports on the November 30, 2021 UTRGV suspicious package incident",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestampApprox": "Approximately two hours after the initial alert, Tuesday, November 30, 2021",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "UTRGV CESS Building ONLY: All clear. Normal operations may resume. No further action required.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.facebook.com/utrgv/posts/utrgv-edinburg-cess-building-only-all-clear-normal-operations-may-resume-no-furt/2104715876350578/",
      "sourceDescription": "UTRGV official Facebook post with all-clear message text confirmed verbatim",
      "annotations": [
        "The all-clear message text was confirmed from UTRGV's official Facebook post, which reproduced the exact alert text",
        "The McAllen Bomb Squad determined the package was a fake explosive device through their own assessment process",
        "The all-clear specified 'CESS Building ONLY,' indicating the alert was targeted to that specific location and did not affect the main Edinburg campus"
      ],
      "characterCount": 94
    }
  ],
  "context": "The [University of Texas Rio Grande Valley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Texas_Rio_Grande_Valley) (UTRGV) is a federally designated [Hispanic-Serving Institution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic-serving_institution) serving over 33,000 students in the border region. On November 30, 2021, UTRGV Police were notified of a suspicious package found in the surplus warehouse of the Community Engagement and Student Success (CESS) Building in Edinburg, an off-campus facility at 1407 E. Freddy Gonzalez Drive. The university immediately activated its mass notification system, evacuated the building, and requested the [McAllen Bomb Squad](https://myrgv.com/local-news/2021/11/30/police-evacuating-utrgv-building-after-suspicious-package-found/) to assess the device. After approximately two hours, the McAllen Bomb Squad determined the package was a fake explosive device and posed no actual threat. [UTRGV issued an all-clear](https://www.facebook.com/utrgv/posts/utrgv-edinburg-cess-building-only-all-clear-normal-operations-may-resume-no-furt/2104715876350578/) specifying it applied to the CESS Building only.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "The UTRGV all-clear message is confirmed verbatim from the university's official Facebook post: 'UTRGV CESS Building ONLY: All clear. Normal operations may resume. No further action required.'",
    "UTRGV used a location-specific all-clear ('CESS Building ONLY') rather than a campus-wide message",
    "Approximately two hours elapsed from the initial alert to the all-clear while the McAllen Bomb Squad assessed the package",
    "The off-campus CESS Building location required coordination between UTRGV Police and the McAllen city bomb squad, illustrating the jurisdictional complexity of off-campus university facilities"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "McAllen police detonate 'fake explosive device' at UTRGV - MyRGV",
      "url": "https://myrgv.com/local-news/2021/11/30/police-evacuating-utrgv-building-after-suspicious-package-found/",
      "type": "local-media",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-31"
    },
    {
      "title": "UTRGV CESS Building all-clear Facebook post - UTRGV official Facebook",
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/utrgv/posts/utrgv-edinburg-cess-building-only-all-clear-normal-operations-may-resume-no-furt/2104715876350578/",
      "type": "official-social",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-31"
    },
    {
      "title": "Suspicious package discovered at UTRGV Edinburg CESS Building - The Rider Newspaper",
      "url": "https://www.utrgvrider.com/suspicious-package-discovered-at-utrgv-edinburg-cess-building-individuals-in-the-building-asked-to-evacuate/",
      "type": "student-newspaper",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-31"
    },
    {
      "title": "Scene cleared after suspicious package found at UTRGV building in Edinburg - KRGV",
      "url": "https://www.krgv.com/news/police-respond-to-suspicious-package-found-at-utrgv-building-in-edinburg",
      "type": "local-media",
      "accessDate": "2026-05-31"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "suspicious-package",
    "fake-explosive",
    "bomb-squad",
    "hsi",
    "texas",
    "rio-grande-valley",
    "confirmed-verbatim",
    "edinburg",
    "off-campus-building",
    "location-specific-alert"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-31",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-16",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}