Police detonate fake bomb found at UofT Scarborough

Toronto police are investigating after a fake bomb was left at the University of Toronto Scarborough that prompted two buildings to be evacuated on Tuesday.

Toronto police said they received a call at 3:45 p.m. that a suspicious package had been located on campus in the area of Military Trail and Ellesmere Road.

According to the university, campus safety discovered the package during a regular patrol in the Environmental Sciences and Chemistry Building.

Duty Insp. Dan Pravica said officers from 43 Division and members of the Explosive Disposal Unit attended the campus and confirmed that the package "had the characteristics of an explosive device."

"A remote robot was sent in. The device was photographed and X-rayed. What the officers determined based on seeing the X-rays led them to believe that it was an explosive device," he said.

As a result, out of an abundance of caution, the Environmental Sciences and Chemistry Building and the Instructional Centre were evacuated, and nearby roads were closed.

"Precautions were used to then remotely detonate it from a safe distance," Pravica said.

Police later determined that the package was a "hoax device" and did not have the component to explode

"They came across a device that is made to look like an actual bomb but is not in actuality bomb," Pravica said, adding the package had wires that resembled an explosive.

"The remainder of the building has since been swept for any other devices, and it has been deemed that there is no further risk to public safety."

Pravica said police do not have any information on who may be responsible or what prompted that person to leave the package, but they are in the process of reviewing campus security video.

 "It's concerning for everyone. It doesn't matter if it's a business or a school building or something else, for someone to come upon, imagine you're going about your daily routine, and you come across this," he said. "It's definitely alarming."

Road have since reopened as well as the Instructional Centre, the university said. However, the Environmental Sciences and Chemistry Building remains closed.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-4300 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.