STAFF REPORT
About 300 students were evacuated from their dorms early Tuesday morning after a “suspicious package” believed to be an explosive device was discovered in a car on the Texas State University campus.
Campus law enforcement officers identified the suspect as Clayton Warren, a 24-year-old white male who lives in San Marcos.
University spokesperson Jayme Blaschke said Warren is being charged with two counts of bomb hoax and one count of evading arrest. He was first taken to the hospital for medical clearance due to preexisting conditions, according to the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, but was booked into the Hays County Jail Tuesday afternoon.
Students from the nine-story College Inn residence hall piled into the Student Recreation Center at about 1:42 a.m. while authorities investigated the believed threat.
“A bomb threat on the Texas State University campus that prompted the evacuation of a residence hall was resolved safely early Tuesday morning, Jan. 14, after the Austin Bomb Squad detonated a suspicious package as a precautionary measure,” university officials said in a statement.
The incident reportedly began shortly after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday when a University Police officer spotted an individual smoking on campus, in violation of the school’s smoke-free campus policy, which prompted a foot chase. Officials said the smoker fled on foot, but was quickly apprehended.
A subsequent search of the smoker’s car revealed what appeared to potentially be an explosive device with an ignition mechanism attached, officials said. The Austin Bomb Squad was called to investigate, and arrived at 3 a.m.
The bomb squad determined the device was not explosive by 4 a.m., but had discovered a second suspicious package in the vehicle. The package’s X-rays were inconclusive, and the bomb squad destroyed the package as a precautionary measure just before 6 a.m.
The evacuated students were allowed to reenter their dorms at about 6 a.m. once the bomb squad gave the “all clear,” officials said.
The university resumed regular operations Tuesday and all classes were held as scheduled.
