Dozens of traditionally Black schools, houses of worship and other institutions have received bomb threats since the beginning of the year, according to the FBI.
Between Jan. 4 and Feb. 16, 57 institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities, received threats made via phone call, email, instant message and anonymous posts online, the FBI said in a statement Wednesday. The agency added that its probe into the incidents, all of them being investigated as hate crimes, is “of the highest priority,” with 31 FBI field offices working with local, state and federal law enforcement to identify those involved.
Agents are also reviewing electronic evidence and have interviewed hundreds of people in connection with the threats. So far, no explosive devices have been found.
“The FBI is continuing to aggressively investigate the ongoing nationwide bomb threats targeting Historically Black Colleges and Universities, houses of worship, and other faith-based and academic institutions,” the agency said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Hampton University became the latest historically Black school to be targeted, according to a statement from the school. The campus of about 3,500 students was placed on lockdown, but later reopened when a search did not turn up any evidence of danger. The incident is among dozens since the start of the year, triggering widespread concern and fear at such religious and learning institutions.
At least eight HBCUs were threatened Jan. 4, and six received threats weeks later on Jan. 31, The Washington Post reported. And on Feb. 1, at least 16 universities opted to close or sweep their campuses due to the surge in threats.
The FBI has encouraged anyone who has witnessed suspicious activity to submit a tip.
“We recognize the fear and disruption this has caused across the country, and we will continue our work to make sure people feel safe in their communities, schools, and places of worship,” the agency said.
“We would like to remind members of the public that if they observe anything suspicious or have information about potential threats to report it to law enforcement immediately, call their local FBI office, or submit a tip to tips.fbi.gov.”
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