Multiple historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are on lockdown after receiving potential threats on Thursday, including Alabama State University, Virginia State University, Hampton University in Virginia, Southern University in Louisiana, and Clark Atlanta University in Georgia.
The FBI released a statement regarding the threats on Thursday, saying federal investigators are “aware of hoax threat calls” to a number of historically Black institutions.
In a post on the Virginia State University Facebook page, the school said, “out of an abundance of caution, VSU remains on lockdown.”
After the campus lockdown was lifted later Thursday afternoon, the university announced it was canceling “all campus activities and classes” on Thursday, Friday and through the weekend.
ABC News obtained an email that was sent to the Virginia State University community on Thursday.
After receiving possible threats on Thursday, several HBCUs—including Alabama State University, Virginia State University, Hampton University in Virginia, Southern University in Louisiana, and Clark Atlanta University in Georgia—are on lockdown.
Because Spelman College is close to Clark Atlanta University, it has also put shelter-in-place procedures into place as a precaution.
The FBI said in a statement Thursday that federal investigators are “aware of hoax threat calls” to several historically Black institutions in reference to the threats.
The FBI stated, “The FBI takes these threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk,” but at this time, there is no evidence to support a credible threat.
The school’s website states that Hampton University suspended all “nonessential” activities, including athletic events, for the rest of Thursday and Friday.
VSU said in a Facebook post that “out of an abundance of caution, VSU remains on lockdown.”. “.
The Louisiana university, Southern University, posted on X that it was under lockdown. According to the school, the Law Center is part of the “entire Baton Rouge landmass,” which is under lockdown. It is advised that the community “shelter in place until further notice.”. “,”.
The university declared that “all campus activities and classes” would be canceled on Thursday, Friday, and throughout the weekend after the campus lockdown was lifted later Thursday afternoon.
The threats against a number of Historically Black Colleges and Universities are not only disgusting, but they serve as a terrifying reminder of the persistent racism and extremism that still targets and terrorizes Black communities across the nation, according to a statement issued by the Congressional Black Caucus on Thursday. “.
“Action quickly to thoroughly investigate these threats and pursue the appropriate legal action against those responsible,” the caucus urged the FBI and the Department of Justice. “.”.
School officials posted on Instagram that Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, is on lockdown because of a possible threat to campus safety.
An email sent to the Virginia State University community on Thursday was obtained by ABC News. The message requests that VSU faculty, staff, and students stay under lockdown while campus police and local, state, and federal law enforcement look into the veracity of the threat that was reported.
No injuries have been reported, outdoor movement has been restricted to necessary activities, afternoon classes and extracurricular activities have been canceled, and more security guards are keeping an eye on VSU locations, the email states.
Following Wednesday’s shooting at Utah Valley University, where Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative commentator, was killed during a speaking engagement on campus, lockdown procedures were implemented.
Activist for civil rights Rev. In a statement issued on Thursday, Al Sharpton demanded an end to all forms of violence and threats against HBCU campuses in the wake of Kirk’s death.
The shooting of Donald Trump last year, Charlie Kirk’s murder yesterday, and the threats to HBCUs today are all things that Sharpton condemned in his statement. Because of the heightened threats, he added, he also intends to expand his security detail. Sharpton made reference to the 2024 Tuskegee University shooting and the 2023 Edward Waters University HBCU attacks.
Officials have not connected the Utah Valley University shooting to any of the threats against the HBCU campuses.
According to a Virginia State representative who spoke to ABC News, Charlie Kirk was not mentioned in any way in the threat they received on Thursday.
There haven’t been any physical incidents against students or faculty, according to Hampton and Alabama State school officials who spoke to ABC News. What kind of threat was being made to the schools at this time is unknown.
“If you see something, say something,” the schools emphasized, urging their communities to notify the authorities of any questionable activities.
A history of threats against HBCUs over the past few years precedes the alleged threats. Numerous schools received anonymous bomb threats in 2022, leading to evacuations or notices to shelter in place at the predominantly Black institutions.
However, following each incident, no actual bombs were discovered. The FBI at the time identified a single young person who they believed was behind the “majority” of the “racially motivated” threats.
