Bomb threat at CNM kept quiet

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - It was a detailed bomb threat aimed at one of Albuquerque’s busiest school campuses, but very few people including students and faculty knew about it until a week later.

Students had no idea that last Thursday a man called Central New Mexico Community College and threatened to blow up the school. The call was enough for security to be alerted.

KRQE News 13 learned an e-mail highlighting details about the call was sent to them. It said who got the call and that the man said “a bomb was going to explode on the campus between the hours of 12 noon and 5 pm” on that day.

More than 16,000 students are enrolled at CNM’s main campus along Coal Avenue SE at University Boulevard. Around 32,000 people are registered for the college's text and e-mail alert system. However, not one got a message from CNM officials because the campus did not send one out.

Samantha Sengel with CNM said the alert system is only used if it’s deemed there was an immediate threat.

“In that case it was deemed that it was not,’ Sengel said.

Sengel said the Albuquerque Police Department was notified and helped with the bomb threat investigation before determining it was a hoax. Sengel could not say how that was determined, citing safety reasons.

She also could not tell News 13 how long it took to determine that it was a fake bomb threat.

“I don't know that specific information at this time,” Sengel said.

Students News 13 spoke with said even 10 minutes of not knowing if that bomb threat is real or not could have spelled out danger for them.

“No, I wasn't informed of the bomb threat,” Anthony Padilla said. “Even if it was a fake bomb threat people should know so they could prepare for their safety at least.”

School official said that would be the wrong thing to do.

“It would create chaos,” Sengel said. “The last thing we want to do is to create our own emergency by creating panic to individuals on something that isn't actually a true threat.”

Last semester CNM did lockdown the Northeast Heights campus and sent out text and e-mail alerts when a man on a nearby city bus claimed he had a bomb.

CNM officials say APD determined there was a possible threat in that case but it turned out that was a hoax too.