SEMO received an online threat to the campus on Monday, Jan. 12, the first day of classes for the 2026 spring semester, and alerted students at approximately 2:01 p.m.
The SEMO University Police Department was prompted to evacuate Kent Library and conducted a search of the building.
Students were advised to stay away from the area.
At 2:26 p.m., University Police sent out an all-clear message and stated that operations could resume as normal.
“SEMO University Police have now given an all-clear following an online threat Monday, Jan. 12. Out of an abundance of caution, SEMO University Police evacuated Kent Library and conducted a search of the building. Operations may resume as normal.”
UPDATE: SEMO declined to comment on the details of the threat.
Multiple universities were placed under bomb threats, including Missouri Southern State University, President Brad Hodson’s former employer, where students were forced to evacuate from their library around 10:45 am.
Other schools where students were ordered to evacuate their libraries due to a potential bomb threat include: The University of Louisville, The University of Nebraska, Murray State, and Suffolk University in Boston.
This is a developing story; stay tuned to the Arrow for more updates.
The Southeast Arrow, a student-run news publication, originally published this story and is a news partner with KRCU Public Radio.