EAST LANSING, Mich. – A man was found inside Michigan State University’s largest academic building with chemicals commonly used to manufacture methamphetamine, according to court documents.
The discovery prompted the closure of Wells Hall through May 1 and left students, many of whom were preparing for final exams, scrambling for answers.
Suspicious person prompts police response
MSU officers were dispatched to Wells Hall after receiving reports of a suspicious person, an odor, and substances on the floor.
Officers located Xin Tong, 31, and identified him using an expired MSU ID.
They seized several bottles of chemicals from bags he was carrying, chemicals authorities say are commonly used to make meth.
The chemicals caused roughly $20,000 in damage to Wells Hall, specifically to doors and flooring.
Student reaction
Students received an alert on their phones on Monday notifying them of the situation.
Sophomore Mohita Katta was among those trying to make sense of what happened.
“It’s going to be weird coming back to the building in the fall, and I feel like it will have a lasting reputation for years to come,” Katta said.
Senior Colin Koot said the incident caught him off guard.
“Since Wells Hall, there’s not really any science labs, I figured it wasn’t something like that, but it was just very strange,” Koot said.
Charges, bond
Tong faces felony charges, including operating or maintaining a methamphetamine lab and causing more than $20,000 in damage.
He is being held at the Ingham County Jail on a $500,000 bond. His next court appearance, a pretrial hearing, is scheduled for May 8.
Police say the investigation remains ongoing and that there is no risk to the campus community.