One or more people claiming responsibility for some of the bomb threats made against the University of Pittsburgh in the last three months have promised to stop now that the school has withdrawn its $50,000 reward offer.
The school's student paper, The Pitt News, reported it received the email late Saturday signed by "The Threateners," who promised to cease the threats in return for the university's reward withdrawal.
Vice Chancellor Robert Hill said Monday the school had withdrawn the reward offer but declined to comment further.
The Pitt News reported the demand to drop the reward offer was included in an email it received Friday. Saturday's email said the group's only demand had been met.
However, according to the student paper, the statement only took responsibility for threats made since March 30, well after the threats began in mid-February. The threats have caused frequent evacuations that disrupted classes and led the school to institute additional security measures. Finals will be limited to five buildings, which will be subject to tight security.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the demand in Friday's email reiterated a demand made in a threat it received April 10. The newspaper said it forwarded the threat to authorities but did not publish details about the demand to withdraw the reward.
The email Friday called the original $10,000 reward a "bounty" for the "young kids who'd pranked the University," according to The Post-Gazette.
"That REALLY angered us! … We don't treat our kids like that!" the email continued.
A joint task force of federal and local authorities is investigating the threats.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press
