WASHINGTON — At least six historically Black colleges and universities received bomb threats Monday leading to campus lockdowns and other safety precautions as police investigated.
Daytona Beach Police tweeted Mondaymorning that Bethune-Cookman University had to go on lockdown while police investigated. Police later cleared the campus of any bomb threat but said that there would be a heavy police presence on campus for the rest of the day. Police asked students and faculty to remain off-campus for the day "if at all possible."
At Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, university officials sent out an emergency alertlocking down areas of that campus including the Southern University Law Center and the Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Classes had to be canceled and students were directed to stay in their dorm rooms until an "all-clear" was issued. University operations were suspended and entry to campus was limited.
Maryland's Bowie State University issued an emergency noticeafter a bomb threat there and the campus was temporarily closed Monday while the situation was investigated. Those on campus were advised to shelter in place and await further instruction.
Similar situations at Albany State University, Delaware State University and Washington, D.C.'s Howard University played out Monday as investigators cleared campuses to ensure no hazardous materials were found.
Earlier in January at least seven historically Black colleges and universities also received bomb threats which lead to evacuations by students and faculty from campus. It wasn't clear if the threats were related or what the motivation behind each was, as The Hill reported.