The FBI has identified six minors as persons of interest connected with the bomb threats against HBCUs on Monday.
A law enforcement official noted that the six suspects identified live across the United States and are presumed juveniles. In addition to being very tech-savvy, the minors used advanced methods to conceal their identities.
The initial bomb threat took place on Monday, targeting at least six HBCUs across the states, one day before the start of Black History Month, NBC Washington reports.
Howard University University (HU) in Washington D.C., the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), Morgan State University (MSU) in Baltimore, Maryland, were among the HBCUs that received the bomb threats.
????The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the Howard University Department of Police have issued an 'ALL CLEAR' in the investigation of a bomb threat made this morning at approximately 2:55 a.m. The Shelter-In-Place directive has been lifted.
— Howard University (@HowardU) February 1, 2022
D.C. police confirmed that a caller reported the bomb threat against HU around 4:20 a.m., police arrived at the campus, and the responding officers cleared the situation. A Howard University representative spoke to NBC Washington, denouncing the actions against the school.
"Our priority is the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff," the representative said. "And we vehemently condemn all actions that threaten the safety of our community."
In addition to the schools mentioned earlier, Albany State University in Georgia, Bethune-Cookman University (BCU) in Florida, Delaware State University (DSC), Southern University and A&M College (SUBR) in Louisiana also received threats. According to the news outlet, each school took safety precautions to ensure the safety of their students, including SUBR ordering their students to stay in their dorms and BCU canceling classes for the rest of that day.
B-CU official response to parents concerning threat/lockdown. Posted at 11:30AM. Monday, January 31st, 2022 pic.twitter.com/5VoRIFIEi0
— Bethune-Cookman (@bethunecookman) January 31, 2022
Howard University has warned its campus of a bomb threat three times in one month; each search has come clean of any explosives.
Although no bombs were found on the campus, Tashni-Ann Dubroy, HU's Executive vice president and chief operating officer, told the Washington Post that the school members would continue to stand together against the threats.
"February 1st, it's a moment when we usually celebrate the innovation and the resilience of our people, and now to be faced with an issue of this kind at our HBCUs nationwide," Dubroy said. "we want our community to know that we're standing together."
