EAST LANSING — The threat that prompted Michigan State University officials to close Berkey Hall and move classes on Sept. 3 was connected to a man who was taken into custody in Washtenaw County, officials said.
A text alert sent early Thursday morning said there was no threat to the broader campus but that the building, the site of a mass shooting in 2023, was going to be closed until further notice.
A man in Washtenaw County was taken into protective custody in connection with the threat, which referenced information about a program housed inside Berkey Hall, according to a statement on Thursday afternoon from the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety.
MSU police said the department was made aware of the threat late Wednesday, Sept. 2, by a medical professional who was fulfilling their "Duty to Warn" obligations.
Officials did not identify the person accused of making the threat but said they are not an employee or student at MSU.
The MSU Department of Police and Public Safety was assisted by the Eastern Michigan University Police Department, Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office and Michigan State Police, officials confirmed.
"Out of an abundance of caution, Michigan State University has temporarily closed Berkey Hall for Thursday, September 3 and moved classes to remote online instruction while law enforcement assesses a reported potential threat," the school's original early morning alert said.
"The university is working closely with law enforcement and will continue to provide updates as we are able," the message said.
Staff operating MSU's Student Life social media accounts issued a statement to reassure students.
"Spartans - many of you may have concerns, anxiety or confusion around the Berkey Hall closure," the statement said. "We want to acknowledge how concerning alerts and actions like this can be, particularly for those who have been through similar events previously and those who are on campus for the first time."
Berkey Hall was expected to reopen at 7 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4 for normal operations.
Berkey Hall was the scene of the 2023 mass shooting that claimed the lives of three MSU students. The hall was closed for a period after the shooting, but later reopened.
The threat was at least the second incident this year that prompted officials to close a university building.
In April, the university announced that Wells Hall would be closed because unknown chemicals were found in the building. It took the university multiple days before officials announced that materials for operating a meth lab were found in the building. The school announced the initial closure on April 27, and revealed on April 29 that a man had been charged with malicious destruction of a building and operating/maintaining a lab involving methamphetamine.
Xin Tong was arraigned on the charges and was found incompetent to stand trial in August. His next court date is Nov. 13.
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Man held in Washtenaw Co. after threat closes MSU's Berkey Hall