The Johnson County Bomb Squad was dispatched to Westlawn on Thursday evening after a suspicious briefcase was found in the hallway, said UI police Lt. Joe Lang.

A member of the custodial staff discovered the briefcase while cleaning and then called UI police around 6 p.m. The building was closed, Lang said.

The bomb squad arrived around 7:30 p.m. and set up an X-ray machine, which revealed that the briefcase was empty. The briefcase was promptly removed and discarded.

Westlawn houses Student Health Service and University Counseling Service.

— by Grace Savides