Classes are expected to resume Friday at Northern Illinois University, after all of the school's campuses were evacuated because of a bomb threat Thursday night.
Students were gradually allowed to return to their dorms throughout the evening as police gave the all-clear. The nearly six-hour ordeal was set off when NIU police received a phone call with an unspecified bomb threat. All branch campuses were closed, and all classes and events were canceled, except for a Midnight Madness basketball event at the Convocation Center. That's where students and staff were told to go after being forced out of their buildings.
Police continued their building searches overnight. Earlier Thursday, officials at DePaul University's O'Hare campus evacuated campus because of a bomb threat.
9:00 pm
NIU officials say thebomb threat that led to the evacuation of all campuses this evening appears to be a hoax. Similar threats were made to a number of schools in the region. Still, police continue to sweep campus buildings to ensure they're safe. So far, the Hoffman Estates and Naperville campuses as well as the Convocation Center and Holmes Student Center in DeKalb have been declared clear.
6:00 pm
All buildings on the campus of Northern Illinois University have been evacuated because of a bomb threat this evening. NIU officials have now alerted staff and students that they need to evacuate ALL branch campuses as well until further notice.
Students and staff on campus are being told to report to the Convocation Center or return to their homes. All classes and activities are canceled tonight. NIU spokesman Joe King says police are sweeping buildings to make sure they are safe before allowing anyone to return.
The one activity still going on on campus is Midnight Madness Basketball at the Convocation Center. Officials decided to go ahead with it since that's where students were being sent anyway.
During the 6:00 hour, students were informed they needed to leave their buildings and stay more than 500 feet away.
