More than a dozen historically Black colleges and universities received bomb threats on Tuesday, the first day of Black History Month.
Six “tech-savvy” juveniles were identified by the FBI as suspects in these racially motivated threats, according to NBC News.
- Officials said these suspects appeared to be using sophisticated methods to try to disguise the source of the threats.
According to Axios, House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, who was briefed by the FBI, said that federal and state officials will ensure the safety of each institution affected by “this act of terrorism.”
- Howard University, one of 13 universities to receive the bomb threats, was the first to issue a shelter in place.
- “We’ve had these challenges before,” Howard University President Wayne Frederick said, per CNN. But “since I’ve been here (as a student) in 1988, it has not been this widespread and also, I think, this overt.”
Other universities that received bomb threats include:
- Alcorn State University.
- Coppin State University.
- Edward Waters University.
- Fort Valley State University.
- The University of the District of Columbia.
- Morgan State University.
- Kentucky State University.
- Xavier University of Louisiana.
- Philander Smith College.
- Arkansas Baptist College, per the city’s mayor.
- Mississippi Valley State University.
- Jackson State University.
The FBI said that investigating these threats “is of the highest priority for the Bureau and involves more than 20 FBI field offices across the country.”