JOLTING – AT 8:05 A.M. ET:  The University of Chicago is canceling classes today because of a threat.  Obviously, the threat is a serious one.  From the Chicago Sun-Times: 

The University of Chicago has canceled all classes and activities on its Hyde Park campus Monday after the FBI alerted it to an online threat of gun violence, according to a campus statement.

University of Chicago President Robert J. Zimmer wrote that the university “will have an increased police and security presence on and around campus, including police personnel with visible weapons and other additional measures.”

“University security personnel are keeping in close contact with the FBI, which is continuing to investigate the threat,” Zimmer wrote.

Responding to a request for comment from the Chicago Sun-Times, FBI Special Agent John Hyde wrote in a statement: “Upon learning of a possible threat, we shared information with law enforcement and University officials, as is our practice. The decision to cancel classes was made by the University. Our investigation to determine the source of the online threat is ongoing.”

FBI counterterrorism officials alerted the school Sunday that “an unknown individual posted an online threat of gun violence against the University of Chicago, specifically mentioning ‘the campus quad’ on Monday morning at 10 a.m.,” according to the statement.

Zimmer wrote that the university canceled classes “based on the FBI’s assessment of this threat and recent tragic events at other campuses across the country.”

COMMENT:  This demonstrates that a key purpose of terrorism is terror, to instill fear and panic.  A major university can be shut down on the basis of a threat.  I suspect that this is the start of many such incidents. 

November 30,  2015