University students and metro residents waited in lines Tuesday night to fill up their gas tanks at area filling stations after they heard rumors of rising gas prices.

The rumors remain unfounded speculation and seem to be based on the fear of war with a Mideast nation in retaliation for Tuesday’s terrorist attacks. No official sources have confirmed the supposedly rising prices or the threat of them.

“I heard it from a friend in St. Cloud and three friends at the U so I thought, ‘Why risk it?'” said sophomore Chris Espe.

At 9 p.m. gas prices remained at $1.79 at the Citgo station on University and 27th avenues S.E.

Citgo employee Eric Cox said lines began forming around 6 p.m. He didn’t know if gas prices at the station would be going up today.

University senior Brad Johnson heard from a friend who works at a gas station in Wisconsin that prices there were already about $4 per gallon.

He also said he heard that oil rigs on the east coast were being shut down because of the Tuesday morning attacks.

The cause of potential rising prices are speculation.

John Peterson said his parents called to warn him of gas prices nearing $4.50 in Spring Lake, Minn. and $5 in North Dakota.

The Super America on the corner of University and Bedford avenues S.E. had cars lining up in the streets waiting to take advantage of the $1.79 per gallon gas price.

Iza Alley said she saw prices around $4 per gallon as she drove from Stillwater, Minn. to Minneapolis on Interstate 94.

Super America employee Dan Reding said he would not know until this morning whether gas prices at the station will rise.

As of press time, gas prices had not risen at all, and most of the speculation was based on hearsay.