Suspect arrested after making bomb threat at ASU; students return to University Hall, International Student Center
JONESBORO, AR – Carlon Walker, 44, of Jonesboro was arrested Tuesday afternoon by Arkansas State University police officers for allegedly making a bomb threat against University Hall, a women’s residence hall housing nearly 400 students. Residents were immediately evacuated from the facility.
Due to its close proximity to University Hall, the International Student Center was also evacuated.
At 3:05 p.m., the entire campus community was notified about the threat through ASU’s emergency alert system. These alerts are transmitted through text messages, messages on phones, alerts on ASU’s website, and e-mails.
“The safety of our students is always our first concern,” said Dr. Rick Stripling, vice chancellor for Student Affairs. “The university wants to ensure all safety procedures are followed and that students are properly notified when any unforeseen event occurs on our campus.”
University police conducted a room-by-room sweep of University Hall with a bomb detecting dog provided by the Crittenden County sheriff’s department. At 5:37 p.m., university police issued a second alert stating there was no longer a threat and students were cleared to return to their rooms. No evidence of a bomb was found during the search.
Walker, who is not an ASU student, was taken to Craighead County jail following the arrest.
