For the police officer, the man’s body language was the giveaway. His combative stance and his abrupt hand movement hinted at the possibility of danger.Police evacuated a student housing building Monday afternoon in what IPFW officials called a “potential threat.”
Building C of the Waterfield Campus was evacuated at 2:14 p.m. for the threat and students allowed to return by 2:28 p.m., university spokeswoman Susan Alderman said.
The “potential threat” is under investigation, and the university would not release any other details.
The three-story apartments house students from IPFW and Ivy Tech. The buildings are locked and someone would need a key fob to gain access unless the person is allowed in by a resident.
Cameron Gretzinger, 19, had just left the shower when police officers knocked on his door and told him there was a threat and he needed to leave.
Gretzinger was allowed to get dressed before evacuating the building.
“That’s why I wasn’t really frightened because it didn’t seem that immediate,” he said.
No one was injured and police took care of the “potential threat” without any problems, IPFW said on its Facebook page.
Students and staff were notified of the evacuation after police sent out an emergency text.
The U.S. Department of Education requires IPFW to send out such alerts because the “potential threat” occurred on campus.
Instances that require an alert include a terrorist attack, an armed intruder, a bomb threat, an explosion, an approaching tornado or other extreme weather conditions, a gas leak, rioting, or an outbreak of meningitis, norovirus or other serious illness, according to “The Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting.”
All public and private colleges that provide federal student aid programs must comply with the law and may be fined up to $27,500 for violations, the handbook states.
