Bomb threat forces library evacuation, police say

May 5 -- A student claiming to have a bomb threatened Boston University library workers Sunday night, triggering a full evacuation of Mugar Memorial Library and a Boston Police Department bomb squad investigation, police and witnesses said.

Mugar security officers called the Boston University Police Department at 8:15 p.m., and reported that Jennifer Douglas, a BU student, claimed to have a bomb with her, BUPD Sgt. Patrick Nuzzi said. The building's fire alarm was sounded to evacuate the hundreds of students studying for finals inside, and Boston Fire Department, BPD and BUPD officials were on the scene within minutes.

Bomb squad officers X-rayed boxes and a suitcase Douglas had with her and found "personal items," but nothing explosive, Nuzzi said.

"We're pretty confident that nothing was left behind," Nuzzi told students who were allowed to re-enter the building shortly after 10:30. BPD bomb-sniffing dogs were brought to the building to look for explosives, he said. Nuzzi advised students to report anything suspicious to security.

BU police arrested Douglas in connection with the alleged threats as students filing out of the library passed her and arresting officers at the main entrance's security booth. Douglas was charged with possession of a hoax device and making a false bomb threat, Nuzzi said. She is expected to be arraigned in Brighton District Court Monday morning.

Nuzzi said Douglas confirmed she had told library employees she had a bomb when police asked. Police then asked Douglas to place her boxes on the floor, which she did, and arrested her, Nuzzi said.

A cuckoo clock, framed picture and newspapers were among items inside the boxes Douglas was carrying, said College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Tarek Al-Naqeeb, who took a photo of the opened boxes with his cellphone after coming back into the library.

A Mugar employee, who asked to remain anonymous because of her employment contract, said Douglas had approached the circulation desk and asked to donate the boxes she was carrying, which she said contained Sept. 11 information, to the library. The circulation desk worker opened the box and found "weird papers" inside and told Douglas she would not accept it, the employee said.

Douglas then claimed she had a bomb and Mugar security apprehended her, the employee said. The fire alarm was pulled and police were at the library before all employees had been informed, the employee said.

BU did not use its Send Word Now emergency alert system to inform students of the situation because Douglas was arrested at the scene and there was no suspect on the loose, BU spokesman Colin Riley said.

"I'm surprised we didn't get a text from the BU alert system. I thought that was the point of [it] to prevent us against any potential threat of danger," Nicole Devici, a School of Education junior, said.

Shruti Juneja, a School of Management freshman had been studying for an economics exam when the fire alarm went off. She, like many other students, said she left her books in the library thinking there was only a fire drill happening.

"It is a Sunday night and finals week, which is really stressful. There is a lot to cover. If they made an announcement saying the threat was real, we could have gotten our stuff," she said.

As evacuated students gathered about 50 feet from the library entrance, Juneja said she thought students should have been directed farther away from the building if the threat was serious.

"If they really think there is a bomb, they should make us leave the area," she said.