About 50 people were evacuated from Warren Towers at 2:15 p.m. Monday after a suspicious package was found in the mailroom.
According to an Office of Residence Life sign posted near an A-Tower elevator, the package was inspected and no threat was found.
BU Spokesman Colin Riley confirmed that a metronome was the cause of the bomb scare. Riley said the metronome had a pretty regular ticking, which alarmed officials.
“We were unable to verify what was in the box and the Boston Bomb Squad responded,” he said.
Riley said the incident occurred just after First-Year Student Outreach Project students began moving into the residence.
“Move in began at 2 p.m. so not a whole lot of them were there,” he said.
Scott Arthur, a College of Arts and Sciences junior and FYSOP student, said police, fire trucks and ambulances responded to the alarm.
“They weren’t letting anyone near the entrance,” he said.
Another FYSOP student, Olivia Dunn, said that there was a lot of confusion when the evacuation began.
“They [authorities] just told us to keep moving,” she said. “They didn’t tell us anything so there was a lot of speculation.”
Dunn, a College of Communication junior, said people were allowed back into the residence after about an hour.
“The parents were really calm,” she said. “They sat down on the COM lawn.”
Josh Koshar, a CAS and COM sophomore, said he encouraged parents to go to the George Sherman Union and get out of the heat.
“I told them to go to the GSU, or somewhere with AC,” the FYSOP student said. “No one really knew what was going on, but then someone waved us back.”
Riley said people were understanding and no problems arose.
“It’s a little bit of inconvenience, but better than what might be if they didn’t exercise a precaution,” he said.
