Campus Alert Archive
MCLA

A Student's Skipped Medication and a Phone Call Emptied Every Building at MCLA

MAbomb threatemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed HoaxDetermined to be a hoax. The institutional response is documented because it reveals how the alert system performed under a perceived real threat.

On October 6, 2014, a third-year student called North Adams Police at 9:40 AM EDT claiming two bombs were on campus and would detonate at 10:30 AM EDT, prompting the evacuation of all campus buildings at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, Massachusetts. More than 1,800 faculty and students were evacuated while the North Adams Fire Department conducted a building-by-building sweep; no devices were found and classes resumed at 2:00 PM EDT.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
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Institution
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Public Bachelors · MA
~1,800 studentsMCLA Emergency Alert
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 ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction207 chars
MCLA Emergency Alert: A bomb threat has been received. All campus buildings are being evacuated immediately. Please exit all buildings now and move away from structures. Do not re-enter until further notice.

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

Reconstructed: reporting confirmed that all buildings were evacuated after the threat claimed two bombs would detonate at 10:30 AM EDT on October 6, 2014; the exact alert text was not published by sources.
The call was made to North Adams Police Department, not to the campus emergency line, at approximately 9:40 AM EDT -- police then notified MCLA, which issued the evacuation order.
With a stated detonation time of 10:30 AM, the college had less than 50 minutes to clear all 1,800 faculty and students from campus.
ALL CLEARSMS+4h 20m
Approximate reconstruction149 chars
MCLA Emergency Alert: All clear. Buildings have been swept and no devices were found. Classes will resume at 2:00 PM. Thank you for your cooperation.

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

Reconstructed: WAMC reported that classes resumed at 2:00 PM EDT after the North Adams Fire Department completed sweeping all buildings and found no explosives.
The four-hour gap between the 9:40 AM threat and the 2:00 PM all-clear reflects the time needed to fully sweep a small residential campus.
Context

Background

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) is a small public liberal-arts college in North Adams, in the Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts, with roughly 1,800 enrolled students and faculty. On the morning of October 6, 2014, Jarret Ferriter, a 21-year-old third-year MCLA student, called the North Adams Police Department at approximately 9:40 AM claiming that two bombs were on campus and would detonate at 10:30 AM. The North Adams Fire Department swept all campus buildings while police cordoned off the area; more than 1,800 faculty and students were evacuated. No devices were found and classes resumed at 2:00 PM. Investigation traced the call to a community phone at Ferriter's campus townhouse from fingerprint evidence and statements from a roommate. Ferriter later admitted in court that he had stopped taking prescribed medication for ADHD and depression the morning of the call and described it as a 'prank.' He was placed on two years' probation, assigned 150 hours of community service, ordered to pay more than $15,000 in restitution to offset emergency response costs, and barred from the MCLA campus. The case illustrates how a mental-health crisis, combined with untreated conditions, can translate a single impulsive act into a campus-wide evacuation costing thousands of dollars in public safety resources.
Analysis

Key Findings

The threat called in to city police -- not campus emergency services -- created a relay delay before MCLA could initiate evacuation
A stated 10:30 AM detonation window compressed the response window to under 50 minutes for clearing all 1,800 occupants
Fingerprints on a campus community phone provided the physical evidence that led to Ferriter's arrest
The $15,000+ restitution order established a financial accountability mechanism rare in false-alarm cases at small Massachusetts colleges
Outcome
No devices found. Suspect Jarret Ferriter, 21, a third-year MCLA student, was arrested and later admitted the call was a false bomb threat made after he stopped taking medication for ADHD and depression. He was placed on two years probation, 150 hours community service, and ordered to pay more than $15,000 in restitution.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Suspect Charged For Making False Bomb Threat At MCLA - WAMC
    wamc.org
  2. News
    Update: North Adams Man Charged In MCLA Bomb Threat - Berkshire Eagle
    berkshireeagle.com
  3. News
    North Adams Man Admits To Making False MCLA Bomb Threat - WAMC
    wamc.org
  4. News
    All Clear Following Bomb Threat At North Adams College - WAMC
    wamc.org
Tags
bomb-threatconfirmed-hoaxcommunity-phonemental-healthsmall-collegemassachusettsberkshiresrestitutionmedicationHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion