Morgan State University and Coppin State University closed their campuses Tuesday morning and issued shelter-in-place notices as a result of bomb threats.
The incidents appear to be part of the latest round of threats to historically Black colleges and universities nationally. Though they’ve prompted numerous lockdowns and extensive searches, no explosive devices have been recovered.
Howard University in Washington, D.C., which has received several threats over the past month, received another at 3 a.m. Tuesday, for which police issued an “all clear” around 7 a.m. Several other HBCUs, including Kentucky State University and Edward Waters University in Florida, also received threats Tuesday.
Coppin State received its threat shortly after 5 a.m. Tuesday, said school spokeswoman Angela Galeano. The campus is closed, classes will be held virtually and employees will be teleworking while Baltimore Police, campus police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigate the threat, she said.
“In recent weeks, several historically Black colleges and universities, nationwide, have been subjected to anonymous bomb threats,” wrote Coppin President Anthony L. Jenkins in a message to campus. “Thankfully, such threats have not yielded any credible danger, but they have been an unfortunate disruption to our community and others.”
Morgan State received its threat at about 4:50 a.m., and decided to close campus, hold classes virtually for the day and instruct all employees to telework, according to a statement from Morgan spokesman Larry Jones.
Tuesday morning, Morgan State Police were working with other law enforcement agencies to conduct a “campus-wide, building-by-building search,” Jones wrote.
In a statement Tuesday morning, Morgan State President David Wilson said no explosives had been located in the university’s residential facilities. Next, authorities began searching the campus’s Rawlings Dining Hall and Student Center, so that meals could be prepared for students.
“Morgan is one of the most historical and consequential universities in the nation. Our history has been one where we have endured all kinds of challenges and disruptions, but we have always emerged stronger,” Wilson wrote in a statement. “I’m hopeful that these bomb threats to our National Treasure, and to many of our other sister HBCU institutions, will be aggressively investigated by the FBI.”
The incident came a day after at least six historically Black colleges or universities received similar threats including Bowie State University in Prince George’s County. After a campus-wide search there, which also resulted in a campus lockdown, no explosives were found.
There's a pretty good chance these are hoaxes. If so, the reporting will be very gentle.
HMMM, how convenient the timing is. Surprised the left has not used these threats as proof of RAAAAACISM, White Supremacy, Domestic terrorism, voter suppression, etc.
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