MSU students evacuate from residence halls after threat was sent to police
MSU vice president for strategic communications, Sid Salter says safety is one of the top priorities at the university.
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Threats at Mississippi State are not taken lightly. Friday, Aug. 25, MSU police received a threat that led to the evacuation of 4 residence halls.
MSU Vice President for Strategic Communications, Sid Salter says safety is one of the top priorities at the university.
“People make decisions about enrolling in a university with safety and security being a primary consideration,” Salter said. “So, we have baked that into the cake of the Mississippi State experience.”
MSU has strict protocols when it comes to these threats. Campus police issue an evacuation and then search the buildings with the help of K9 units.
Salter says new security equipment is also in place, such as door codes on some halls and cameras placed all across campus.
The maroon alert notification system is one of the university’s most effective tools.
It informs students and parents of the situation and provides near real-time updates.
“We have a duty to keep our students informed, we must keep their loved ones who are concerned about them informed,” Salter said. “So we are going to use every tool in our toolbox to inform students in a timely fashion, to share information with the community, and to follow up on the backend.”
The threat is still under investigation. Salter says campus police have leads and are working with local law enforcement.
“We will investigate this incident as far as the evidence takes us and we will do everything we can to prosecute individuals who are caught doing this,” Salter said.
The residence halls affected were Hull, Hathorn, Nunnelee, and Sessums.
