University Of Chicago Cancels Monday Classes Over Threat Of Gun Violence

The University of Chicago is canceling all classes and other events on its main campus Monday over online threats of gun violence.

FBI counterterrorism officials alerted the school on Sunday, the university said in a statement. They warned of online threats from an "unknown individual" that specifically mentioned a location, the campus quad, and a time, 10 a.m.

"Based on the FBI's assessment of this threat and recent tragic events at other campuses across the country, we have decided in consultation with federal and local law enforcement officials, to exercise caution by canceling all classes and activities on the Hyde Park campus through midnight on Monday," the school said in a statement.

Students, non-medical faculty and non-essential staff are being asked to stay away from the campus, or to remain indoors if they are on campus.

The school will also be increasing the police and security presence on campus, the statement says, and the FBI is continuing to investigate the threat.

"The picturesque University of Chicago campus is in the Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side," NPR's David Schaper reports. "President Obama taught at the university's law school and owns a home nearby."

Many of the University of Chicago's other campuses will also be closed, including charter school campuses and the university libraries. The University of Chicago Medical Center will remain open, "with added security measures," the school says.