Extortion try spurs evacuation
Volume LXXXVIII, Number 64	University of Southern California	Tuesday, May 13, 1980
trojan
students and staff," Ward said.
AH buildings were evacuated bv 11 p.m., with University Security utilizing the help of Residential Life personnel and staff members, including custodians. Evacuees were told to leave campus, and were directed to designated areas at Dedeaux Field, Parking Lot B (behind the Davidson Conference Cen-ter),and the fenced area behind the Married Student Housing complex. University Security was primarily concerned with students living in campus residence halls, and Ward guessed that 1,500 to 2,000 residents were affected by the evacuation. Officers established a perimeter of surveillance around Exposition Park, where many students camped. Others made their way with blankets and books to friends' apartments off campus, including the Century and Cardinal Gardens complexes.
Entrance gates were blocked off at around 11 p.m. to all incoming traffic. A spot search was conducted of several main buildings on campus, Hopkins said, although he refused to identify which ones.
Hospitals were notified of a possible emergency situation and student Health Advocates were on call.
Local news media also covered the event including KABC-TV Channel 7, KNXT Channel 2 and several radio stations.
Students and other personnel were allowed to return on campus shortly after midnight. "We will be watching for anything more than unusual but as far as we're concerned it was over at midnight," Ward said. "We will fall bade to normal patrol."
Although a new policy was recently instituted making evacuation of facilities during bomb threats optional, the (Continued on page 13)
Campus cleared for bomb threat
Staff photo by Katy Smith
A FORCED ESCAPE — An unidentified resident leaves Elisabeth von KleinSmid Residence Hall in the campus evacuation late last night. All residence halls were cleared by University Security, residence halls and maintenance personnel.
Students practice getting ‘bombed’
Parking lots, hotels, friends get invaded
By Robin Oto
and Stephanie Chavez
Of the Daily Trojan staff Several thousand people were evacuated from university buildings Monday night after a telephone bomb threat in which $200,000 was demanded. The male caller threatened to detonate a bomb in a major building somewhere on campus at midnight unless the demand was met, according to Lt. John Hopkins of the Los Angeles Police Department, Southwest Division.
The call occured early Monday afternoon, although officials refused to identify who re-
ceived it. Efforts were made to meet the demand for money but it was not picked up at the appointed time and place.
The case was handled by LAPD special teams including the robberv-homicide division. The bomb squad was also made available. Hopkins refused to identify the reason for the call but said LAPD will follow up on what leads they had. No further information was released.
President John R. Hubbard returned to Los Angeles International Airport from an undisclosed location in the late evening, and came directly to campus after hearing of the situation, apparently on a radio. He arrived shortly before midnight. Hopkins denied the rumor that the caller had threatened Hubbard's life. The university president left shortly after midnight.
Steve Ward, chief of University Security, refused to verify at first if there was an actual bomb threat, if it was phoned in, or if any money was involved, until after midnight. Ward stated that "security is cooperating with L.A. police to insure the safety of students, faculty and staffs. I'm not prepared to assess it (situation), my first responsibility is to the students. The whole process has gotten out of my control."
LAPD and University Security divided responsibilities with LAPD working on the "investigative element, trying to find out what happened. We're (security) taking precautionary steps primarily for the safety of
Photo by Usa Janet Hubbard
DEPARTURE — President John R. Hubbard leaves campus Monday night after conferring with University security about the bomb threat-extortion attempt which he heard about on the radio earlier in the evening. Hubbard conferred with security for a half hour and then left during a press conference.
By Aida Bustos and Galen Gruman
Staff Writers
Thousands of students poured out of their residences into the cool breeze Monday night as if rushing to make a huge Tommy's run. Nothing so entertaining was on their minds, however, as they gathered their most valued belongings and evacuated their rooms, some uncertain when they would be returning, or whether they would be back at all.
University Security officers, aided by various agencies, evacuated all the buildings on campus after a bomb threat was received Monday afternoon. The caller indicated he would detonate the bomb somewhere on campus at midnight unless he was paid $200,000.
Los Angeles Police Department detectives attempted to meet the caller's demands, however no contact was made. At about 8:00 p.m., security decided to evacuate all the buildings on campus, giving an 11 p.m. deadline for leaving the site. Security allowed students to return to their rooms shortly after midnight when it was determined there was no longer a threat to the students' safety.
Many students expressed anger at having to in terrupt their activities for what they considered more a nuisance than a threat. Security reported there have more than 60 bomb threats to various school buildings in the four months of this year.
"I don't think this threat is real, there have been so many. It's insane to have to stay out until someone tells us it's a hoax," said Gretchen Stine, a junior.
Two students frustrated at not being able to return to their studies jokingly suggested building their own bomb and detonating it so the whole event would finally end.
For many students the loud knock at their doors presented a series of frustrations, beginning with the decision of what to take, and what to leave behind.
Blankets, books, laden backpacks were quickly assembled by students as they hurried out, many with term papers and finals on their minds. Others decided a free night out called for a friendly game of baseball, basketball or frisbee with some liquid refreshments, mainly in the form of chilled beer, left not too far behind.
"I just grabbed my jacket and left, I don't even know where my roommate is. I hope she can find me in this crowd," Leslie Sharpe, a freshman in political science, said as she walked towards the Intramural Field after being evacuated from Residence West.
For many, the pressing question was not what to take, but where to go.
Hundreds of students were seen streaming across Jefferson Boulevard on their way to stay with friends in the Troy and Cardinal apartment (Continued on page 13)