SMC police share new facts on bomb threat

The Santa Monica Police Department continues to investigate the bomb threat that caused the evacuation of the quad Tuesday afternoon, said Santa Monica College Police Sgt. Jere Romano. Romano said the note was left out in the open of a women’s bathroom on the first floor of the library, near the computer lab. The note was written on an 8.5 by 11 sheet of notebook paper that was possibly ripped out of a three-ring binder.

Found by two female students, the note said that a bomb was planned for detonation within an hour. Romano said there was no way to tell exactly when that would be, causing the immediate evacuation of the quad.

“We just can’t take that chance,” Romano said of the threat.

Romano said that the suspect is a female based on where the note was found.

Since the incident, the note has been passed on to SMPD for fingerprint analysis. Police will have to shift through other individuals’ prints, as several people handled it before reaching police hands, Romano said.

“We’re gonna take it as far as we can,” Romano said.

Due to increased sensitivity and reports of bomb threats in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing just over a week ago, Romano thought Tuesday’s scare could have been a hoax.

“I wonder if somebody was just testing us,” Romano said.

Romano was worried that the upcoming Club Row event on the campus could be a potential target for threat.