The University canceled an on-campus fraternity party after several violent threats were made Saturday afternoon, police said.

“Threats of violence on multiple levels were made this afternoon specific to the Alpha Phi Alpha event, which gave the administration enough time to decide to cancel the event,” University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said Saturday night.

Pajama Jam 2008, hosted by the Zeta Pi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., was scheduled to be held at the Ramsey Center Volleyball Arena with the proceeds benefiting the March of Dimes.

Williamson would not comment on the types or numbers of threats or any developments in the case regarding possible suspects, saying the incident is being investigated.

“It’s too premature to make a conclusion, but we are looking into some things right now, but I won’t really be able to comment for a day or two,” Williamson said Sunday in a telephone interview.

Students living in East Campus Village, located near Ramsey, expressed concern that they were not notified about the potential threat.

Neither the UGA Alert emergency notification system nor the Arch listserv were used.

Williamson said the threat was “isolated.” Because it was not University-wide, the alert system was not used.

He said the Ramsey Center stayed open because the threat was specific only to the event, which was planned to begin after Ramsey closed.

However, some students said extra precaution should have been taken to ensure safety.

“If there is a threat to an event, there is a threat to the whole building and it should have been cleared to protect students, regardless of when the event was to begin,” said Alfred Richardson, a sophomore from Johns Creek.

Police were stationed on foot and by vehicle surrounding the East Campus Village entrances and exits in addition to patrolling the E04 parking deck, the Ramsey Center and areas near the Georgia Museum of Art and the future site for the Lamar Dodd Art School building.

Williamson said police remained stationed after the event’s cancellation to help inform those arriving on campus.

“Emotions are so charged, and we don’t want any conflict to arise as people arrive and congregate,” Williamson said.

Police met with the fraternity chapter and advisers at about 7:30 p.m. in the Greek Life offices to inform them of the event’s cancellation.

“I don’t really know everything surrounding the threats, so I don’t want to say anything about what they were like at this time until I have all the information,” the chapter’s vice president Chris Blakely said Sunday afternoon.

This would have been the 19th year the fraternity has held the Pajama Jam. In previous years the party was in Stegeman Coliseum.

More than 1,200 people from the Southeast were expected to attend the party, according to information about the event on Facebook.

“We would work with the chapter to reschedule the event, if that is their wish moving forward,” said Eric Atkinson, assistant to the vice president in the office of student affairs.

Tickets ranged from $10 to $20.

“We are going to work with the chapter to figure out reimbursement for students and others that may have ordered tickets,” Atkinson said.

Blakely said the chapter is working on a system to refund non-students who purchased tickets.