Multiple HBCUs Implement Lockdowns Following Threats Amid Campus Security Concerns

Several historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) initiated lockdowns on Thursday after receiving potential threats. Institutions affected include Alabama State University, Virginia State University, Hampton University in Virginia, Southern University in Louisiana, and Clark Atlanta University in Georgia. Spelman College, located near Clark Atlanta University, also implemented shelter-in-place protocols as a precautionary measure.

Hampton University suspended all nonessential activities, including athletic events, for the remainder of Thursday and Friday. Virginia State University announced on its Facebook page that it remains on lockdown "out of an abundance of caution." Southern University in Louisiana stated on X that the lockdown applies to its "entire Baton Rouge landmass," including its Law Center, and urged the community to "shelter in place until further notice." Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, also reported a lockdown due to a potential threat to campus safety.

An email obtained by ABC News, sent to the Virginia State University community, advised students, faculty, and staff to remain on lockdown while campus police, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement, investigate the credibility of the received threat. The email noted that no injuries have been reported, outdoor movement is limited to essential activities, classes and extracurricular activities are canceled for the afternoon, and additional security personnel are monitoring VSU locations.

These lockdown measures follow the recent shooting at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, where 31-year-old conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was killed during a speaking engagement on campus. Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton released a statement on Thursday, condemning threats to HBCU campuses and all forms of violence amid tensions after Kirk's death. Sharpton stated that he "condemned the shooting of Donald Trump last year, the murder of Charlie Kirk yesterday, and the threats to HBCUs today," and mentioned plans to add additional members to his security detail due to increased threats.

Officials have not linked any of the threats to the HBCU campuses to the shooting at Utah Valley University. School officials at Hampton and Alabama State confirmed that there have been no physical incidents toward students and faculty. The nature of the threats made to the schools remains unclear at this time. The institutions emphasized the importance of vigilance, urging their communities to report any suspicious activity.

These incidents are part of a series of threats to HBCUs in recent years. In 2022, multiple schools received anonymous bomb threats, leading to shelter-in-place notices or evacuations. No actual bombs were found, and the FBI identified a juvenile believed to be responsible for a majority of the racially motivated threats.