A 36-year-old Columbus, Miss., man is in custody, charged with making a bomb threat against Mississippi State University in August.

The threat, sent via text message to campus police just before 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 25, caused the university’s “Maroon Alert” system to notify the campus community to evacuate four residence halls.

Once evacuated, MSU police secured the area and swept the buildings looking for an explosive device, assisted by the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office and bomb-detecting K9 units. No explosives were found.

Friday, MSU police chief Kenneth Rogers announced that Isaac Terrell Pryor of Columbus, about 60 miles west of Tuscaloosa, was taken into custody Thursday and charged with making a false report of a bomb. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Additional charges are possible, Rogers said.

As a deterrent to similar incidents in the future, MSU officials intent to push prosecutors to seek stiff penalties against Pryor, according to Sid Salter, MSU’s Vice President for Strategic Communications.

“While the university is thankful that there were no injuries or damage from this incident, it caused fear and alarm among our campus community and among the families of our students,” Salter said.

“The university incurred financial losses and had to call on law enforcement partners for assistance, including the bomb-sniffing K9s. Schedules were disrupted and our students, faculty and staff were displaced for a time while we secured the campus.”

The investigation leading to Pryor’s arrest was a joint effort between MSU police, the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security’s Analysis and Information Center, the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office and the Starkville Police Department.