Balloon popping inside Cooper sparks 911 calls
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
Several protestors at USF arrested during pro-Palestine encampment protest
Three protestors were arrested by University Police (UP) Monday afternoon during a pro-Palestine demonstration outside the Marshall Student Center (MSC), according to USF spokesperson Althea Johnson. Johnson said the three arrests included a student, an employee and an individual who is not associated with the university. Specific charges were not clear at the time of […]
The Oracle needs your help
Dear reader: Reporters for USF’s award-winning student newspaper, The Oracle, have recently navigated through a pandemic, a rapidly evolving political climate and a change in university president – all with the goal of sharing important news and stories. Though The Oracle has been an integral part in keeping the USF community informed since 1966, we […]
USF won’t install more physical protections following recent on-campus suicide
USF will not be implementing additional physical safety measures over a month after a student leapt from an upper floor inside the Interdisciplinary Sciences building, USF spokeswoman Althea Johnson said. The incident marked the third on-campus suicide since fall 2022. A week after a student fell from an upper floor of Beard Garage in 2022, […]
Meet USF’s new student body president and vice president
A new era of Student Government (SG) just arrived. In a quick five-minute ceremony, student body president-elect Suryakanth Prasad Gottipati and vice president-elect Sumit Subhash Jadhav were sworn in on Wednesday afternoon. Their term will start on May 6 and last for one year. Related: Take a look at USF’s student leaders’ swearing in ceremony […]
Photos: Take a look at USF’s student leaders’ swearing in ceremony
A new era of Student Government (SG) just arrived. In a quick five-minute ceremony, student body president-elect Suryakanth Prasad Gottipati and vice president-elect Sumit Subhash Jadhav were sworn in on Wednesday afternoon. Related: USF student body president and vice president-elect sworn in Their term will start on May 6 and last for one year. Gabrielle […]
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 […]