San Francisco State University was on lockdown after an anonymous threat of violence was made to campus at 12:26 p.m.

According to an email sent by the University Police Department, those on campus should shelter in place or go to a secure location. 

“Stay away from windows and doors, and remain there until further instructions. If you are not on campus please do not come, all classes and activities are cancelled for the day,” the email states.

This isn’t the first time SFSU has experienced threats during finals week, according to prior coverage by Golden Gate Xpress.

In May 2017, the HSS Building was evacuated due to a bomb threat. The San Francisco Police Department’s K-9 units searched the building and found no explosives. Students were forced to wait outside while their finals were disrupted.

In December 2019, the university received another bomb threat that led to a campus-wide closure. Multiple buildings were evacuated, including the Humanities Building, Library Building, Thornton Hall and several others. The threat was later determined to be false.

4:01 p.m.

The shelter-in-place order has been lifted. UPD and local agencies have declared there was no credible threat to the campus, according to an email sent by the Office of Emergency Services.

“Residential students who are off campus may return to the residence halls,” OES states. “Residential students will receive a separate notice about campus support activities for them.”

Regular activities are set to resume on Friday, Dec. 20, according to the email. 

“For students affected by the cancellation and disruption of finals, please coordinate with your faculty to explore alternative arrangements,” OES stated. “Faculty members are encouraged to work closely with students to ensure suitable solutions are provided.”

2:42 p.m.

According to an update from UPD, individuals on campus are still advised to remain sheltered in place. 

“Out of an abundance of caution we ask you to continue to shelter in place,” UPD stated. “An update will be sent at approximately 4 p.m.”

2:10 p.m. 

Peyton Smith, a third-year student and Manzanita Square resident assistant, was sitting outside of the Humanities Building with her friends after finishing a final when she received the alert. 

Smith was then informed through a phone call from UPD about the shelter in place when she and her friends decided to find shelter in Marcus Hall.

“I think I’m annoyed because there’s not a lot of information,” Smith said. “I know that there was drug sniffing dogs through the RA stuff but if I was not an RA, I wouldn’t have access to any sort of information and I feel like that’s more scary because you don’t know whether it’s a bomb threat or an active shooter.”

 There are currently no further updates from UPD on the situation.

1:51 p.m.

Many students have left J. Paul Leonard Library after Matthew Blevin, the library building’s coordinator, spotted an unidentified package.

Mira Foster, a librarian, advised the building’s Peet’s Coffee employees to continue to take shelter in a library storage room.

“We all got the UPD call at different times,” Foster said. “My phone rang first and others didn’t.”

1:38 p.m.

Residents at University Park North received notice from SFSU Emergency Operations Services.

“Once a building is cleared by the bomb-sniffing dogs, occupants will be allowed to leave to their on-campus residence or to leave campus,” EOS said in an emergency update.

While UPN residents received the notice from the emergency service, they were also receiving orders from UPD to continue the shelter-in-place order.

Two helicopters and UPD Community Service Officers arrived to conduct a sweep.

1:04 p.m. 

According to an alert from SFSU, those on campus should still remain sheltered in place. 

“UPD is conducting a sweep of campus with local agencies based on an anonymous threat of violence,” the alert reads. “UPD will send an update once the sweep of campus is complete.”