More updates:

8:45 p.m., Dec. 5, 2007: UCSD returns to normal after evacuation of the School of Medicine and School of Pharmacy today. Buildings are open as usual for work and classes Thursday. Link to the Campus Notice.

7 p.m., Dec. 5, 2007: The School of Medicine buildings at UCSD, which were evacuated earlier today as a precaution due to a bomb threat, will be open for business Thursday. A suspicious object that was found in the Leichtag building was thoroughly examined and was found to not pose a threat to the campus community. UCSD faculty, staff, and students at the School of Medicine campus should report to work tomorrow as usual. The investigation into the incident will continue.

Update from the University:

5:45 p.m., Dec. 5, 2007: The suspicious package previously reported at the Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy has been confirmed as harmless. Law enforcement personnel are still reviewing buildings to further ensure the campus community safety. Although this has been a difficult, inconvenient, and disconcerting experience for many, we are pleased with the outcome. Updates to this site have been and will be posted as soon as safety personnel make them available.

Apparently there were several bomb threats and a suspicious package found in Leichtag Building on the UCSD campus. I sat in a meeting this morning for over an hour listening to the fire alarm in Leichtag going off (it’s next door to where I work), and immediately after the meeting ended, my building was evacuated, along with all the buildings in the School of Medicine and Pharmacy. Since the evaluation of all the buildings is going to take several hours, they encouraged people who work in those buildings to go home for the day, which is what I ended up doing.

The latest news is now stating that the suspicious package was believed to be benign, but still. That’s some fucked up shit. Here’s the official university statement regarded the issue:

ALL AT UCSD (including UCSD Medical Center)
SUBJECT: Evacuation of the School of Medicine

There has been an evacuation of the School of Medicine buildings on the
west campus and the School of Pharmacy as a precautionary measure for
the safety of our campus community. We have been monitoring some
threats and investigating a suspicious object that was found in the
Leichtag Building. City and county police and other responders are
working with us. Please avoid the area and check Blink for updates.
The website will be updated as soon as more information is available.

Here’s the link to the Blink site that is being updated with information as it becomes known: http://blink.ucsd.edu/Blink/External/Topics/Policy/0,1162,2907,00.html

I heard rumors that this had to do with some animal rights organization (there’s a vivarium in Leichtag building). I’m not even going to start with my feelings on that issue.