The FBI said that the threats were instances of « racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism and hate crimes. »
The FBI has identified at least five individuals that it says are involved in a series of « racially or ethnically motivated » bomb threats targeting historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). At least six HBCUs across five states reportedly received bomb threats on Monday. A dozen more schools received similar threats on Tuesday—which happened to be the first day of Black History Month. One of these threats, called into Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, reportedly involved a wide-ranging plot that involved at least seven explosive devices. Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young also said that the person who called in the threat told him of a planned mass shooting on the campus later that day. Authorities swept Bethune-Cookman University, as well as numerous other HBCUs that had received similar threats. However, no bombs were found by any law enforcement agency. Despite this, a number of universities were forced to go on lockdown as a result of the threats. This includes Howard University in Washington, D.C., one of the most well-known and prestigious HBCUs in the country, with alumni such as Vice President Kamala Harris and Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court justice.
