(WOODSTOCK, Ga.) — At the very least a half-dozen traditionally Black universities in 5 states and the District of Columbia have been responding to bomb threats Monday, with lots of them locking down their campuses for a time.
Each the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating, the companies mentioned in separate statements.
In Georgia, Albany State College warned college students and college on social media that “a bomb risk has been issued to Albany State College’s tutorial buildings.”
College officers at Southern College and A&M Faculty in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, instructed college students to remain of their dormitories Monday morning. After a seek for any suspicious units, the college gave an all-clear later within the day. Regular campus operations have been anticipated to renew Tuesday, college officers mentioned.
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At Bowie State College in Maryland, college officers instructed everybody on campus to shelter in place till extra info was accessible. Explosives-detecting canine and bomb technicians have been serving to campus police to comb buildings, the state hearth marshal’s workplace mentioned in a press release. The campus reopened later Monday after a search by native, state and federal legislation officers discovered no explosive units, college officers mentioned.
Howard College was additionally the topic of a bomb risk earlier than daybreak Monday, however later gave an all-clear to college students and employees, radio station WTOP reported.
In Florida, Daytona Seashore police mentioned in a tweet that they gave the all-clear on the Bethune-Cookman campus after the college obtained a bomb risk. However lessons have been canceled and police mentioned they have been going to remain on campus for the remainder of the day.
At Delaware State College, a bomb risk to that campus was made early Monday morning, and police accomplished a search of the campus by early afternoon and no explosives have been discovered, college spokesperson Carlos Holmes mentioned in an electronic mail.
“We’re protected, for which I’m extremely grateful, however the try to disrupt focused our neighborhood due to who we serve and the mission we fulfill,” Delaware State President Tony Allen mentioned in a letter to the campus neighborhood. “The impetus for such a risk can’t be ascribed to something apart from probably the most primitive type of racism, a type which is neither new nor distinctive on this nation.”
White Home Press Secretary Jen Psaki mentioned Monday that the threats “are actually disturbing and the White Home is in contact with the interagency companions, together with federal legislation enforcement management on this.”
“We’re relieved to listen to that Howard and Bethune-Cookman universities have been given the all-clear and can proceed to observe these studies,” Psaki mentioned, including that President Joe Biden is conscious of the threats.
Monday’s bomb scares got here someday earlier than the beginning of Black Historical past Month and fewer than a month after a sequence of bomb threats have been made to a number of traditionally Black universities on Jan. 4.
“We’re deeply disturbed by a second spherical of bomb threats at HBCU campuses inside a month,” leaders of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus mentioned in a press release Monday.
“Studying is without doubt one of the most noble and most human pursuits, and colleges are sacred locations that ought to at all times be free from terror,” it mentioned. “Fixing these crimes and bringing these accountable to justice needs to be a high precedence for federal legislation enforcement.”
The assertion was issued by Democratic U.S. Rep. Alma Adams of North Carolina and Republican U.S. Rep. French Hill of Arkansas, who’re co-chairs of the caucus.
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Related Press author Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland, contributed to this report.
