The Department of Public Safety is investigating a potentially threatening post made late Wednesday on Yik Yak — a location-based social media application that shows the most recent posts from anonymous users in the area.
DPS spokesman Randy Young said police are looking into the situation. He said a campuswide AlertCarolina message would be sent out soon.
He said similar threats posted on social media are called in to DPS occasionally.
"We investigate them as appropriate," he said.
A screenshot of the anonymous message posted on Facebook said, "To all my friends, don't be in the Pit tomorrow at noon. Things will be getting a big explosive."
The original message was posted around 11:20 p.m. Wednesday.
Jenny Drabble, a senior who works in UNC Student Stores, said she has seen multiple police officers in the store and across campus this morning.
According to the DPS website, when threats of explosions on campus are made, there are three scenarios of "imminent threat" that would cause the University's sirens to be activated and result in an AlertCarolina text message to be sent out: an armed person on or near campus, a major chemical spill or hazard, or a tornado.
An officer at DPS, who said he is not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed that there is additional security near the Pit area and said he believes there are K-9 dogs on campus as well. But he said the situation is not considered an immediate threat to campus at this time.
