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Hampton University, a historically Black institution in Virginia, received a bomb threat Wednesday morning, which forced the university into lockdown, 13News Now, an ABC-affiliated station, reported.
A spokesperson for the Hampton Police Division said the threat call came in just before 9 a.m. and that department officers investigated and reopened the campus three hours later, according to 13News Now.
Hampton University said in a statement that investigators “found the threat unsubstantiated” and an all clear was issued, though it is unclear who sent in the threat. The bomb threat was the first this year for Hampton but the latest in a string of bomb threats directed at HBCUs, across the country this month and in January, which the FBI is investigating.
“Hampton University is committed to keeping the campus community safe, informed and healthy,” a university spokesperson told 13News Now. “The university takes any threats to the campus community’s safety seriously and remains vigilant in maintaining the safety and protection of the Hampton University family.”
The FBI on Wednesday released a statement about the investigation into the bomb threats and said FBI agents from multiple field offices are conducting hundreds of interviews and gathering a variety of electronic evidence for analysis. According to the bureau, at least 57 historically Black institutions, including houses of worship and other faith-based and academic institutions, received bomb threats by “phone, email, instant messages or online posts from Jan. 4 to Feb. 16.” No explosive devices have been found at any of the targeted institutions, but the FBI is reviewing electronic evidence and has interviewed hundreds of people, according to the agency’s statement. So far, the bureau has briefed approximately 2,800 law enforcement partners and community, academic and faith leaders about the threats.
