Universities in Texas, North Dakota Shut Down Following Bomb Threats

(Newsroom America) -- Students at North Dakota State University, as well as the University of Texas in Austin, shut down Friday and evacuated their campuses following bomb threats to both schools.

"NDSU is requiring all employees and students to leave campus by 10:15 a.m. This includes residence hall students, who, if necessary, should walk to locations off campus. This also includes the downtown buildings and agricultural facilities. NDSU received a bomb threat, prompting this evacuation. Updates will follow," said a post on North Dakota State's Web site.

The University of Texas said on its site it closed down "due to threats on campus."

University of Texas director of communications Rhonda Weldon said the university received a call about 8:35 a.m. from a man with a Middle Eastern accent claiming to be with al-Qaeda.

She said the man told her he had placed bombs all over campus that would detonate in 90 minutes.

Authorites said it wasn't clear if the two incidents were related.

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