A bomb threat was called into Public Safety for the third time in two weeks sometime before 5 p.m. Friday that prompted the evacuation of Gerstenzang Science Building. Currently there are no suspects in custody; however, Public Safety did gather some physical evidence from the location of the phone call, and officers are still investigating leads. According to Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan, the caller described a specific target area, and as a result, public safety was able to complete the search of the location in 65 minutes and allow students back into the building shortly after.

Callahan confirmed that the phone call was made by a male caller. There was a "similarity of voice from the prior incidents," Callahan said.

As a result, Public Safety is reviewing the phone tapes and the voices from all three false reports. "I have two officers working 10 hours a day on this case, interviewing people, following leads - this is not something we take lightly," Callahan said.

Although Callahan would not confirm if Public Safety has removed or located the phone from which the call originated, he did say that the call was made in Gerstenzang. Public Safety has recovered the phones used in the previous two bomb threats and is currently attempting to recover evidence from them as well. "We are still looking at various methods to extract finger prints from the phones," Callahan said. "It's an ongoing investigation."

Callahan also confirmed that Public Safety is in the process of working with the FBI. "When people call bomb threats, it is something that the FBI is concerned with due to the homeland security act," Callahan said. "So the FBI might be reviewing tape and voice prints."

"One class was temporarily affected. We moved (them) out of the area, but then we moved them back to Gerstenzang after it was determined everything was OK," Callahan said.

Callahan said when the suspect is apprehended, if it is discovered he is a student, he will recommend immediate removal from the University and federal charges that carry steep penalties be filed. He said the charges will be "within the premise of the law."

"It is very unfortunate and we are getting into federal offense concerns," Callahan said.

"This is a great imposition to members of the Brandeis community who are forced to evacuate their class and laboratory," Callahan said.

Shifra Krinshpun '03 was in the middle of an experiment, from which she was taking a break, during a biology lab at the time. "I was in Bassine on the third floor, in the kitchen, taking a break, and one of the biology department secretaries came running in and telling us to evacuate because there had been a bomb scare and so we all just locked the doors and left," she said.

"When I left the building I saw the police. Momentarily afterward, the fire department came in and more police officers were at the scene," Krinshpun said.

- Jamie Freed '03 contributed to this article.