MSU police temporarily sent The Gallery at Snyder-Phillips into secure-in-place for what they deemed a "non-specific threat" just before 11 a.m. Friday morning.
Shortly after, the order was lifted, but not before social media platforms like Yik Yak and Twitter were abuzz with rumors about a shooter in Mason-Abbot and Snyder-Phillips, which ultimately proved untrue.
University spokesman Jason Cody said the threat was made to a service desk in Snyder-Phillips over the phone, but he did not know the nature of the threat. When police arrived on the scene, he said, they made the determination to issue a secure-in-place order for The Gallery, which lasted for 30 to 40 minutes.
Police have since determined the threat is not credible.
While MSU police have identified and spoken to the person responsible for the threat, Cody said, they have not made any arrests on the case, only noting that the "investigation continues."
Cody emphasized that the rumors that swirled on social media in the wake of the secure-in-place made the jobs of police harder.
"If police had at any point realized the threat was credible, students would have been notified with an MSU alert," Cody said.
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