Campus Alert Archive
DeVry

Email Bomb Threat Shutters All 13 DeVry and Chamberlain Campuses Across Chicago

ILbomb threatemergency notificationmedium confidence
UnfoundedNo evidence of an actual threat was found. The institutional response is documented because the alert communication is identical to what would occur during a real incident.

On Sunday, February 9, 2014, two leaders at the Chamberlain College of Nursing campus in Addison, Illinois, received an email threatening multiple explosions at unspecified locations on Monday. DeVry University closed all 10 Chicago-area locations and all three Chamberlain College of Nursing campuses on February 10 as a precaution. Explosive detection canine teams swept every facility and found nothing suspicious. All campuses reopened the following day.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
DeVry University
For Profit · IL
~45,000 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction226 chars
All Chicago area DeVry University and Chamberlain College of Nursing locations will be closed for Monday, February 10 due to a security concern. Students and staff should not report to campus. Further updates will be provided.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news reports describing the campus closure announcement
The original threat email referenced several explosions at unspecified locations throughout the day on Monday
The email sender's name was attached to the threat, suggesting it was not a sophisticated anonymous attack
DeVry had 10 Chicago-area locations and Chamberlain had 3, totaling 13 campuses affected by a single threat
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction291 chars
All Chicago area DeVry University and Chamberlain College of Nursing campus locations have been inspected and swept with explosive detection canine teams. Nothing of an unusual nature was found at any location. All campuses will reopen on Tuesday, February 11. Normal operations will resume.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news reports describing the all-clear announcement
Each of the 13 locations was individually swept by K-9 teams before the all-clear was issued
The closure affected thousands of students across the Chicago metropolitan area for a full day
Context

Background

DeVry University, one of the largest for-profit educational institutions in the United States, operated numerous physical campus locations across the Chicago metropolitan area in 2014. The bomb threat arrived via email on a Sunday evening, giving administrators time to preemptively close all locations before Monday classes. Unlike threats at traditional residential campuses, the DeVry closure affected commuter students and working adults attending evening and weekend classes at scattered urban and suburban sites. The threat specifically targeted the Chamberlain College of Nursing campus in Addison, but DeVry chose to close all Chicago-area locations as a precaution. Law enforcement noted the email was not sent anonymously, as the sender's name was attached, and investigators worked to verify the sender's IP address. The incident highlights how for-profit institutions with multiple small campuses face unique challenges in emergency response, as a single threat can cascade across more than a dozen locations.
Analysis

Key Findings

A single emailed threat shut down 13 physical campus locations across the Chicago area, illustrating how multi-campus for-profit institutions face amplified disruption from threats
The threat email was not anonymous, with the sender's name attached, yet still prompted full closure of all locations
For-profit institutions with commuter-only campuses rarely generate campus alert case studies despite serving large student populations
The precautionary closure model, shutting down before the threatened date, differs from the reactive lockdown pattern seen at residential campuses
Outcome
All 13 Chicago-area campuses swept by explosive detection canine teams. No suspicious items found. Campuses reopened Tuesday, February 11. Law enforcement investigated the email sender, whose name was attached to the message.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    DeVry, Chamberlain Campuses Closed Due To Email Threat - CBS Chicago
    cbsnews.com
  2. News
    DeVry campuses to reopen Tuesday after security threat shut down campuses in Chicago area - ABC30
    abc30.com
  3. News
    DeVry Closed: Threat Leads University to Cancel Classes Monday - DNAinfo Chicago
    dnainfo.com
  4. News
    DeVry, Chamberlain Campuses Reopen Tuesday Following Threat - NBC Chicago
    nbcchicago.com
Tags
bomb-threatfor-profitmulti-campuscommuter-campusemail-threatprecautionary-closurechicagochamberlain-college-of-nursingUnfounded
Added April 2026Updated April 2026Via ingestion