Minneapolis man charged in U of M bomb threat that caused evacuation
Law enforcement on the scene of a bomb threat at the University of Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Minneapolis man was charged for allegedly telling police he had a bomb while outside the Coffman Memorial Union building, which prompted an evacuation on Wednesday.
Ahmed Mohamed Umar, 36, was charged Thursday with one count of threats of violence with an explosive device for Wednesday’s incident at the University of Minnesota which caused the surrounding area to shut down and the building to be evacuated.
According to the criminal complaint, police initially responded to Coffman on a report of an unwanted person allegedly filming students, repeatedly attempting to enter a room and refusing to leave.
A woman told police she was outside a study room when Umar allegedly approached her and asked to hug and kiss her. The woman went back into the room with several other women, and Umar allegedly began to film them and made comments about their age.
When officers arrived, they located Umar and escorted him to a bench outside the building. During the investigation, authorities learned Umar had outstanding warrants and told him he was under arrest.
Law enforcement asked if he had any weapons on him. Umar allegedly responded, "I have a bomb," indicating the explosive was located in his backpack sitting on the ground nearby, according to the complaint.
Law enforcement evacuated Coffman Memorial and closed the surrounding streets. The Minneapolis Bomb Squad arrived and searched Umar’s backpack, but no bomb was found.
According to court documents, Umar has been charged with trespassing more than 20 times in Minnesota within three years.
Umar is currently in custody, and his bail was set at 60,000 with conditions. He is set to make his first court appearance on Friday.