All Clear Given at UMD After Anonymous Threat

Campus police at the University of Maryland College Park investigated an apparent threat at the school's administration building Wednesday.

An all clear was given just after 4 p.m., about half an hour after UMD received an anonymous phone call saying an armed person was holding a hostage at gunpoint in the Main Administration building.

Witnesses reported seeing police officers with guns in the area around 3:45 p.m., and students tweeted images of heavily armed officers responding to the scene.

According to a tweet from campus police, officers searched the main administration building on Regents Drive for "criminal activity" reported through an anonymous call.

"I saw some cop cars come out, and I noticed they were coming down here," a student told News4 Prince George's County Bureau Chief Tracee Wilkins. "So as I came over to see what was happening; I saw that they blocked off the campus street right around here, and around the main administration building."

He said he saw officers surrounding the building and preventing students from entering.

The UMD Police Department evacuated and swept the entire Main Administration building, and also conducted sweeps of the nearby Lee and Mitchell buildings.

They then determined that the threat was unfounded.

"UMPD will continue to investigate this matter and will have high visibility patrols throughout the rest of the evening," read part of a statement from the school late Wednesday afternoon.

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