NIU will be pursuing federal charges against the man arrested for the Oct. 8 bomb threat hoax, NIU Police Chief Tom Phillips said at Wednesday’s Faculty Senate meeting.

The bomb threat was confirmed at 6:45 p.m. Oct. 8 and NIU Police evacuated and closed all university buildings, including satellite campuses. Classes resumed the next day, according to an Oct. 8 Northern Star article.

The threat was reported to NIU as 20 bags at undisclosed locations on campus resulting in the fastest school evacuation in Illinois history, Phillips said.

The man was arrested by the FBI and the case is currently being reviewed, Phillips said.

“We were able to learn, within a short period of time, this young man was in California and not only did he do this to NIU, but to several colleges in Chicago,” Phillips said.

The man’s grandmother told a friend that he was acting suspiciously which resulted in the notification of the police and his arrest, Phillips said.