Scrawled Threats Shut Down Chicago College

In the wake of campus shootings at Virginia Tech and NIU, threats in a bathroom stall at Chicago’s St. Xavier University prompted an indefinite campus shutdown last night. After graffiti appeared for the second time Thursday, this time reading “Be prepared to die 4/14,” school authorities told students to leave campus and suspended operations, the Chicago Tribune reports.

“We can't take even the most seemingly harmless threats anything less than seriously,” said an Xavier representative. “We had to weigh the risk of the students with the likelihood of something occurring.” Police are “monitoring” the situation, but no suspects have emerged, a spokeswoman said. “People are freaking out,” said a freshman. “It seems to be happening everywhere,” another student noted. (More school shooting stories.)