Balloon popping inside Cooper sparks 911 calls
A class exercise involving popping balloons led to multiple 911 call to report “gunshots” from Cooper Hall on Friday morning.
ORACLE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
A class exercise on campus caused a commotion Friday morning when a professor popping balloons during class in room 119 in Cooper Hall prompted multiple calls to University Police (UP).
The calls began at 12:52 p.m., overflowing to backup call-receiving centers. Callers reported hearing gunshots coming from the classroom. According to UP Captain Mike Klingebiel, officers responded almost immediately and linked the alleged gunshots to the classroom with the balloons within a few minutes.
Four officers were initially on scene.
Klingebiel said UP tracked the “shots” to an adjoining classroom and spoke to students engaged in the exercise. They were able to determine that the balloon popping was the cause of the concern.
UP had a message for the mobile campus alert system, MoBull, prepared. After discovering the source of the noise was popping balloons, it sent out a different message stating there was “no threat to (the) community” and to “continue normal activities.”
The professor currently faces no criminal charges. Any reprimand would be at the discretion of the university, Klingebiel said, since the professor did not do anything that would necessitate repercussions from UP.
“We’re very thankful everything turned out okay,” Klingebiel said.
More Stories
President Joe Biden visits Tampa to talk abortion rights
Gearing up for the 2024 presidential election, President Joe Biden made a stop in Tampa to talk about reproductive freedom in Florida on Tuesday afternoon. The speech comes just two weeks before the state’s six-week abortion ban comes into effect on May 1. Biden called on Floridians to vote for an amendment deciding abortion access […]
‘Genocide Joe has got to go’: Pro-Palestine protestors gather during Biden’s visit to Tampa
While President Joe Biden took 15 minutes to talk on the protection of reproductive rights in Tampa on Tuesday, pro-Palestine protests chanted against the United States handling “on-going genocide” in Gaza, and its alliance to Israel in the conflict. Related: President Joe Biden visits Tampa to talk abortion rights “The lack of coverage in the media […]
USF students can ‘Swap Shop’ their way into free items this week
USF’s Swap Shop is just around the corner. Literally. Bulls can stop by the Swap Shop, located in Holly J, to pick up some free items – from furniture to clothing. Students, staff and faculty had the opportunity to donate items for the Swap Shop earlier this week on Monday and Tuesday. But ‘shopping’ won’t […]
Bulls for bowls: Fresh Kitchen to open near USF Tampa this summer
Eating healthier just got easier for USF students. A new Fresh Kitchen location will open this summer near the USF Tampa campus on the corner of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Fowler Avenue. Related: New Sprouts location to open near USF Tampa campus on Friday – The Oracle Construction on the building is complete and […]
USF student court rules candidates didn’t intimidate voters
Students might have noticed that the official announcement for the Student Government (SG) presidential elections for the upcoming term was delayed. Here’s a look at what slowed down the process. Suryakanth Prasad Gottipati and Sumit Subhash Jadhav won the election with 1,702 votes. However, Alexa Matos and Rithvik Lee Pack, presidential candidates and runner-ups, filed […]
Trouble following USF divestment debate updates? Here’s what to know.
Since last fall, a group of USF students have been calling for the university to divest. With months of protests and news, here’s a breakdown of the divestment movement. Related: USF student leaders narrowly pass divestment measure On Oct. 7, a designated terrorist group, known as Hamas, launched an attack on Israel, according to a […]