Pitt partners with U.S. Department of Justice in bomb threat investigation

Pitt has enlisted the U.S. Department of Justice to help its investigation into the recent… Pitt has enlisted the U.S. Department of Justice to help its investigation into the recent string of Cathedral of Learning bomb threats.

Pitt spokesman Robert Hill said the University asked assistance from the federal department after this month’s recent spate of bomb threats. The Cathedral received three bomb threats within nine days, and Hill said a person of interest has been associated with all three threats.

He said that all three threats appeared in a ground floor men’s restroom stall in the Cathedral.

In February, Pitt police found a bomb threat written on the stall of a women’s restroom in the Chevron Science Center.

Those convicted of making bomb threats may face penalties such as imprisonment and fines, Hill said. Convicted students could also be expelled.

Last year, charges were dropped against former Pitt student Louisa Nkrumah of Harrisburg after federal prosecutors said that she called Pitt police and threatened to destroy the Cathedral and Posvar Hall in 2008. A judge dismissed the charges against her in April 2011 once she completed 150 hours of community service and paid Pitt $8,000 over the course of one year.

While no motive for this month’s threats month has been discovered, Hill said the search to identify the responsible parties continues.

All bomb threats occurred during the morning, with the first appearing March 14. The next two threats happened on March 19 and 22.

Pitt sent out an Emergency Notification System alert to the campus community notifying them of the threats, none of which specified a time or location within the building.