Campus Alert Archive
DACC

A 'Military Ordnance' Find Near Sonoma Ranch Empties the East Mesa Campus

NMsuspicious packageemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On January 30, 2024, Doña Ana Community College's East Mesa campus in Las Cruces was told to shelter in place and then evacuated after White Sands Missile Range police reported a suspicious device at a storage facility on the 3400 block of N. Sonoma Ranch Blvd. Around 1:32 p.m., Las Cruces police asked DACC East Mesa and nearby Camino Real Middle School to shelter in place out of "an abundance of caution". A Fort Bliss explosive ordnance disposal unit later rendered the device safe, and classes were canceled for the rest of the day.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Doña Ana Community College
Community College · NM
NMSU Aggie Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 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 ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction164 chars
NMSU Aggie Alert: Shelter in place at the DACC East Mesa Campus due to police activity in the area of Sonoma Ranch Blvd. Avoid the area. More information to follow.

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

Reconstructed from KRWG and student-newspaper reporting that LCPD asked DACC East Mesa to shelter in place around 1:32 p.m.; exact Aggie Alert wording was not published.
DACC is a community college division of New Mexico State University, so its emergency messaging runs through NMSU's Aggie Alert system.
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction173 chars
NMSU is evacuating the DACC East Mesa Campus due to ongoing police activity. Classes are canceled for the remainder of the day. Do not return to campus until further notice.

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

Reconstructed; the shelter-in-place escalated to a full evacuation and class cancellation as the Fort Bliss EOD unit worked the scene.
Portions of Sonoma Ranch Boulevard from Sedona Hills Parkway to Rinconada Boulevard were closed during the response.
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction148 chars
The DACC East Mesa Campus will resume classes and regular hours of operation on Wednesday, January 31. The area has been cleared by law enforcement.

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

Reconstructed from DACC's statement that classes and regular hours would resume January 31; LCPD reported the device was rendered safe and the area reopened.
LCPD Detective Carlos Carrillo said 'military ordnance' was found in a storage unit and Fort Bliss EOD 'rendered the device safe.'
Context

Background

Doña Ana Community College's East Mesa campus sits along Sonoma Ranch Boulevard on the east side of Las Cruces, near Camino Real Middle School. On January 30, 2024, the Las Cruces Police Department received a call from White Sands Missile Range police about a suspicious device at a storage facility on the 3400 block of N. Sonoma Ranch Blvd. Around 1:32 p.m., LCPD asked DACC East Mesa and the neighboring middle school to shelter in place, then the campus was evacuated and classes canceled while a Fort Bliss explosive ordnance disposal unit responded. According to KTSM, LCPD closed Sonoma Ranch Boulevard between Sedona Hills Parkway and Rinconada Boulevard; detectives said 'military ordnance' found in a storage unit was rendered safe by the Fort Bliss team. The campus reopened the following day. Because DACC is part of New Mexico State University, the notifications were issued through NMSU's Aggie Alert system.
Analysis

Key Findings

DACC East Mesa was told to shelter in place around 1:32 p.m. MST on January 30, 2024, then evacuated and closed for the day
The trigger was a suspicious device at a storage facility on Sonoma Ranch Blvd. reported by White Sands Missile Range police
A Fort Bliss explosive ordnance disposal unit rendered 'military ordnance' safe; the campus reopened January 31
DACC, a division of NMSU, communicated through the Aggie Alert system; no exact alert text was published, so the case carries medium confidence
Outcome
Fort Bliss EOD rendered the device safe, the road and campus reopened, and DACC East Mesa resumed normal operations Wednesday, January 31, 2024. No injuries.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    Brief: East Mesa DACC bomb threat prompts evacuation, classes cancelled
    nmsuroundup.com
  2. News
    UPDATE: NMSU evacuates DACC East Mesa Campus due to police activity
    krwg.org
  3. News
    UPDATE: Road in Las Cruces reopens after possible explosive device is removed
    ktsm.com
  4. News
    Bomb threat triggers lockdown at some Las Cruces schools Tuesday
    kfoxtv.com
Tags
suspicious-packagebomb-threatnew-mexicocommunity-collegelas-crucesshelter-in-placeevacuationemergency-notification
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion