The University of Minnesota issued an alert to staff and students Thursday morning after receiving a threat from a man who said he would shoot people on campus.

U officials sent out a text and email warning of the threat to “shoot persons” they say came from 41-year-old Joseph Mark Rongstad.

In response to the threat, the U police department and other agencies will have additional officers on campus, the alert said.

The spring semester, signaling the return of most students, is set to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 16, the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

On Thursday, buildings will only be accessible by keycard and employees have been urged to work from home. Accoridng to the U, the Twin Cities campus remains open with normal operations. Updates and safety tips can be found at publicsafety.umn.edu/alerts.

State law enforcement and the sheriff’s department in Rongstad’s home county are investigating the threat.

Rongstad is described as 6 feet tall and 195 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. There’s no vehicle description.

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