Nine historically Black colleges and universities went into lockdown mode or evacuated their campuses after receiving bomb threats on Jan. 5, 2022.
Officials at Spelman College, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Florida Memorial University, Howard University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University, Prairie View A&M University, Florida Memorial University and Xavier University of Louisiana reportedly received bomb threats, according to USA Today.
“Prairie View A&M University has received a bomb threat,” the Texas school tweeted, “Please remain where you are.”
NCCU officials spoke to the campus via an email to “proceed immediately to the nearest exit and vacate the building. “This is not a drill,” the school’s alert said in all caps, according to the Charlotte The News & Observer.
A few hours later after local and campus police conducted sweeps of the campuses, the schools were declared safe and students either returned to the campus or were allowed to move about freely.
All clear. Howard’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) and MPD responded to a potential bomb threat on campus this afternoon. The perimeter was secured and searched. No active devices were found and the area has been cleared.
— Howard University (@HowardU) January 4, 2022
NSU Police Dept. completed investigation of a bomb threat received Tuesday evening and issued an “All Clear.” Students have been secured in a hotel and dorms remain closed until 8 AM Wednesday. NSU Police and authorities secured campus. For emergencies, call NSU at 757-823-9000. pic.twitter.com/Przq4fOzA0
— Norfolk State University (@Norfolkstate) January 5, 2022
One university implored students to remain vigilant despite the all-clear.
“Although the threat was unfounded we ask that everyone remains vigilant,” the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff tweeted.
The Washington Post reports that these bomb threats come two months after four Ivy League schools — Cornell University, Columbia University, Yale University and Brown University — issued emergency alerts in November 2021 and evacuation orders after receiving similar bomb threats. No credible evidence of a bomb was found at any of the Ivy League institutions.
