Hamline Public Safety (HPS) issued an emergency notification at 11:22 a.m. on June 17 via email and text stating that a suspicious package was identified outside of Manor Residence Hall. The message further detailed that the Saint Paul Police Department (SPPD) was present on campus to handle the item. HPS requested that everyone receiving the alert stay clear of Manor Hall until further notice.
According to a Public Safety Officer on duty, the box contained a tank of ether, a highly flammable chemical once used as an anesthetic before less reactive alternatives were discovered. However, the SPPD Bomb Squad was able to safely remove the item without any harm to students or Hamline property.
A few hours after the initial message, around 1:30 p.m., HPS released another alert informing Hamline affiliates that the area around Manor Hall was safe.
“We are pleased to inform you that the area has been given the ALL CLEAR by SPPD. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding during this incident,” the HU Alert said.
Mysterious package found outside Manor Hall leads to police and fire department presence on campus
Concern and curiosity spread across Hamline University’s campus at midday on June 17 in response to an HU alert. Squad cars and fire trucks occupied Hamline’s two blocks of Englewood Avenue as officers worked to assess a box residing outside of Manor Hall.
June 17, 2024
The remnants of the suspicious package were on the lawn in front of Manor Hall facing Englewood Avenue after being handled by the Saint Paul Police Department. The threat was eliminated at this point and anyone was free to walk by the scene.
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