The handwritten note found in a classroom on the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus seemed harmless at first: “Hello student. Hope you have a good day!”

But it ended cryptically with the initials “JK,” “lol” and an acronym for foul language.

Then came something more ominous: A bullet was placed on top of the paper.

Officials at IUP may never fully grasp the logic that led two students to leave the message Thursday in Jane Leonard Hall, though campus police spoke with the pair and quickly concluded it was not an actual threat.

The students, their names withheld by IUP, face potential judicial sanctions for their stunt. Meanwhile, IUP itself faces questions about whether it acted properly or should have taken the more extreme step of canceling classes, at least in Leonard Hall.

Either way, the incident speaks to a new reality of college life as campuses must sort through an increasing volume of active shooters and other less immediate threats — from both on and off campus — and then decide in real time which are serious and which are bogus.

Campus police leaders at IUP declined comment, citing the ongoing investigation, IUP spokeswoman Michelle Fryling said on Monday. She defended the police decisions that were conveyed to campus by emails and other means starting about an hour after the discovery.

“The individuals confirmed with University Police that their actions were not intended as a threat to any person or persons,” Fryling said.

“If our university police had determined that the incident was a threat to campus, we would take appropriate action, which could include canceling classes,” she added. “Our University Police make the determination of appropriate action.”

Nevertheless, unease in some quarters of campus was evident from coverage in IUP’s student newspaper, The Penn. It posted an image of the note and an editorial, titled: “Another threat on campus — Imagine how tired we are.”

“The justification provided for its dismissal was that a ‘bullet had not been discharged, and no firearm was found in the building,’ “ the editorial stated.

“Despite IUP’s email, many students did not particularly feel safe going to class at Leonard Hall this morning,” the editorial continued. “True, they did not find any firearms in the building, but they also did not check the bags of students coming in and out of Leonard Hall.”

Although statistics have long suggested that campuses face less crime than the communities surrounding them, college leaders increasingly must make tough calls about emergency responses and what information should be shared with students and employees and how quickly.

Should a shelter-in-place order be sent to campus by emergency text, email and phone notification systems as soon as initial sketchy reports are received? Or should more clarity be sought first?

At the University of Pittsburgh, campus and city police last April managed to safely search and clear multiple campus buildings without any injuries after receiving bogus active shooter reports in the Hillman Library and Mervis Hall.

Still, Pitt was criticized for delays in notifying students who saw heavily armed police converge on the Oakland campus and weren’t sure what to do. It was 1 hour and 26 minutes before the first emergency text was sent.

Officials later blamed technical glitches and a desire to weigh the need to send out timely alerts with avoiding the spread of misinformation in a rapidly unfolding scene. Pitt reviewed the matter and has undertaken a number of security upgrades.

“Such events have raised questions about our ability to effectively manage these threats to our safety,” then Chancellor Patrick Gallagher wrote amid the complaints. “I agree with these concerns and, because such threats are not going away, we must do better.”

On campuses nationwide, there have been 13 mass shootings (three or more deceased) between 1966 and last year that killed 102 people, according to the website Best Colleges, which cited academic and other data.

Other instances of gunfire numbering 300 have killed 94 and injured 215, it reported.

Media reports and social media streams suggest the frequency of many other incidents.

A day after the IUP incident, a man who fired several shots on the University of California Berkeley campus stirred momentary panic Friday night before being apprehended. Images on X, showed startled students darting through a campus center there to find safety.

Earlier that day, an active shooter report later deemed a false alarm drew a major police response to the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. Three days before that, Lamar University students were told to shelter in place after a campus Subway eatery was robbed.

At IUP, at state-owned university with almost 9,300 students, an initial campus communication was sent at 10:34 a.m. Thursday. It read in part:

“This is an important message from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

“Following an investigation, IUP Police have determined that there is no threat to campus following the discovery of a bullet and note left in a first-floor classroom in Jane Leonard Hall today at 9:30 a.m.

“The bullet had not been discharged, and no firearm was found in the building.

“Classes and events are continuing as scheduled. Students who need support because of this incident may call the IUP Counseling Center.”

An update at 12:20 p.m. read in part:

“IUP Police have identified the individuals who left the note and bullet in Jane Leonard Hall this morning.

“These individuals, who are currently enrolled students, are cooperating with IUP Police and confirm that their actions were not intended as a threat to any person or persons.”

Later Monday, the IUP campus received a note from Thomas Segar, vice president of student affairs.

He said “we understand the worry and anxiety that this incident has caused you and your families.”

He added, “We also hear your questions and concerns about if the university is responding to this incident with the seriousness that it deserves.

“While the determination was made that this incident was not a threat to you, we do not minimize your anxiety, fear, and uncertainty when incidents like this happen,” he said. “We are here to help you through these feelings and concerns.”

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