Suspicious device confirmed as class project

Davis Beatty
Wed, 17 Sep 2025 02:45:05 +0000
1. First tier featured posts, Campus, Crime, Instagram Page, Local, News, bexley police department, bolz hall, bomb, bomb squad, Buckeye, Buckeye Alert, caldwell, Caldwell lab, class project, Columbus Division of Fire, Columbus Division of Police, Columbus Police Department, Dan Hedman, device, Journalism Buildilng, ohio state, project, suspicious activity, suspicious device, threat, university, university police

Police cars line Neil Avenue on Tuesday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor

Police raise "Danger" tape near Neil Avenue on Tuesday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor

Students are directed behind freshly raised "Danger" tape on Tuesday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor

A police officer points towards the Journalism Building on Tuesday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor

A student is confronted with "Danger" tape blocking his path after being directed inside by police. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor

Students make phone calls outside the Journalism Building on Tuesday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor

A bomb technician with the Columbus Division of Fire Bomb Squad approaches Caldwell Lab on Tuesday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor

A student does homework near the police boundary on Tuesday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor

Professors are told that it is safe to reenter Bolz Hall on Tuesday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor

Students begin to cross the police boundary after the evacuation order was lifted on Tuesday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor

Police high-five eachother outside a Columbus Fire Bomb Squad truck after the evacuation order was lifted on Tuesday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor

A suspicious device found in Caldwell Lab that prompted an evacuation of nearby buildings was a class project.

Dan Hedman, a university spokesperson, confirmed the object reported was not a threat after the lab, Journalism Building and Bolz Hall were evacuated on Monday.

Around 12:30 p.m., students evacuated the three buildings as the Columbus Division of Police, Bexley Police Department, University Police and the Columbus Division of Fire’s Bomb Squad arrived to investigate the object.

At 1:06 p.m., Ohio State sent a Buckeye Alert reporting on the evacuation.

At 1:32 p.m., the university sent another alert and said Columbus fire and University Police were continuing to evaluate the device and the buildings would remain closed.

At 1:41 p.m., a final alert was sent and said the police and the fire department determined the device was not a threat and the buildings were reopened.

The story is ongoing and the Lantern will update when there is more information.