New threat forces Elmhurst College to close for second day

Elmhurst College officials say their campus will remain closed for a second straight day Tuesday as police continue to investigate a string of threatening graffiti messages plaguing the campus that serves roughly 3,500 students.

School officials said they found another threatening message Monday afternoon in the Dinkmeyer residence hall. That threat came on the heels of an earlier message found Sunday night in a women's restroom stall in the A.C. Buehler Library and still another message found last week in a dormitory on campus.

Elmhurst police have said they do not believe the graffiti poses a credible threat, but school officials say they decided to close the campus Monday and keep it closed Tuesday "out of an abundance of caution."

It remains unclear if the latest message was a new threat or connected to the earlier cases.

School officials said late Monday that they plan to add additional security and reopen the campus near downtown Elmhurst on Wednesday.

"Activities that threaten our campus community are completely unacceptable and are a violation of everything the college stands for," Elmhurst College President Troy VanAken said in a written statement. "Student safety is a top priority, as is a complete and thorough investigation of these incidents."

The campus has not been locked down, officials said, but all school offices and academic and recreational facilities are closed and all classes have been canceled.

Residence halls remain open, but those on campus who want an escort or additional assistance should call campus security. Residence Life and RAs also are reaching out to students.

Anyone with information related to this or the other cases on campus is being urged to contact the office of campus security or Elmhurst police.