Shooting threat prompts U of M to close buildings

A written threat of a shooting at three buildings at the University of Minnesota prompted officials to close them Thursday afternoon.

A piece of paper that said "a guy is planning a shooting" was found by postal workers in St. Paul, said university spokesman Daniel Wolter.

The university canceled all classes and activities beginning at or after 3:45 p.m. at the Carlson School of Management, Hanson Hall and the Hubert H. Humphrey Center, because the note listed the buildings and said the shooting would take place Thursday evening, Wolter said. The buildings were scheduled to close at 4:30 p.m.

"It was deemed to be credible enough to close those buildings," he said. "Our operating procedure in these situations is to err on the side of caution."

Authorities believe the piece of paper was put in a mailbox, which is how it ended up at the main mail processing center in St. Paul, Wolter said. University police are investigating the threat, he said.

The university plans to reopen the buildings on Friday, said Wolter.