One phone call to UF Health Shands Hospital on Tuesday resulted in an evacuation of the food court, University Police said.
UPD spokesperson Maj. Brad Barber said police were told a bomb threat was made at about 10:45 a.m. The unknown caller said there was a bomb near the Wendy’s and Chick-fil-A in the food court. Police were unable to trace the call.
Patients, visitors and staff were told to leave the first-floor food court area and surrounding hallways of the north campus hospital, Rossana Passaniti, a Shands spokesperson, wrote in an email.
“Out of an abundance of caution, this morning we temporarily evacuated and secured the first-floor food court area of UF Health Shands Hospital,” Passaniti said.
Although it is unknown how many people were evacuated, she said the food court is typically busy during that time.
The food court was reopened at about 11:30 a.m. after police dogs and UF Health Shands Security cleared the area.
The most recent bomb threat on campus was a handwritten note left in the first floor women’s bathroom in the New Engineering Building on Nov. 16, according to Alligator archives.
The investigation into who made the bomb threat to Shands is still ongoing, Barber said. There is no further threat to the hospital.
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