The Feliciano School of Business was evacuated on the afternoon of Feb. 3 due to a report of a suspicious package found in the building.
The Feliciano School of Business was evacuated on the afternoon of Feb. 3 due to a report of a suspicious package found in the building.
John LaRosa | The Montclarion
Students stand outside the building in the rain awaiting the all-clear from police.
John LaRosa | The Montclarion
University Police cleared the building and the Montclair State University community was notified almost instantaneously via RAVE alerts. The package was later identified as a harmless gym bag.
A university police officer patrolling the halls of the Feliciano School of Business.
John LaRosa | The Montclarion
Jash Patel, a junior business administration major with a concentration in marketing, was in the lobby when the alarms went off.
“There was a voice [over a loudspeaker] saying, ‘There’s an emergency in the building, please evacuate,’” Patel said. “I was confused at first because I didn’t see any evidence of a fire, but the fire alarm was going off.”
Jash Patel was in the lobby when the alarms went off.
Emma Caughlan | The Montclarion
Mario Gatica, a junior hospitality, sports, events and tourism major, was in the building when the evacuation was ordered but he said he never felt unsafe.
“This is a safe school, and the police do a good job of making sure that it’s safe,” Gatica said. “So, I wasn’t that worried.”
Mario Gatica felt safe despite the evacuation.
Emma Caughlan | The Montclarion
Emsley Dorce, a junior business administration major with a concentration in business analytics, was in class when the alarms went off and said he was feeling something other than just fear.
“The fire alarm rang and [I was in a boring class],” Dorce said. “I was kind of happy but scared at the same time.”
Emsley Dorce was happy to leave his class but said he still felt nervous.
Emma Caughlan | The Montclarion
A similar incident occurred during the fall 2021 semester when panic spread around campus over a rumor that someone carrying a gun went into the Feliciano School of Business. The “gun” was eventually identified as camera equipment.
University Police surround the Feliciano School of Business. John LaRosa | The Montclarion
Deputy Chief of University Police, Kieran Barrett, commended the people who reported the bag and encouraged others to do the same when they see something suspicious.
“I should mention that people did the right thing here,” Barrett said. “If you don’t know the person [or] don’t know what it is — then it is OK to call us. We will find out.”
