NCCU bomb threat prompts evacuation in Durham as other HBCUs receive similar threats

N.C. Central University sent out an “all-clear” message Tuesday night, about four hours after a bomb threat prompted the Durham campus to evacuate.

The university was one of at least seven bomb threats reported Tuesday at Historically Black Colleges and Universities around the country, the university said in a statement.

None of the threats resulted in a bomb or explosive being found.

The alert sent to NCCU at 5:34 p.m. told the campus community to “proceed immediately to the nearest exit and vacate the building.” Officials told employees to return home.

Students who couldn’t go home were told to report to Hillside High School’s parking lot.

“This is not a drill,” the alert said in all capital letters.

The Campus Echo, the student newspaper, confirmed a bomb threat was reported about 5:35 p.m.

The university later tweeted: “All students who require transportation off campus to the evacuation point should report to the Lower Lot of the Mary Townes Science Complex parking lot.”

By 9:15 p.m., an all-clear message was sent and students were taken back to their residence halls.

The following agencies investigated the threat: NCCU Police, Durham Police, Durham County Sheriff’s Office, Durham Fire Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Durham City/County Emergency Management. N.C. State University and UNC-Chapel Hill Police Departments also assisted in confirming buildings were cleared safely.

Threats at HBCUs

People on social media noted that several bomb threats were reported at Historically Black Colleges and Universities Tuesday around the country.

Texas Southern University sent a message to its campus that “several HBCUs received phone calls regarding potential threats to their campus. All threats have been unfounded. Nevertheless, please continue to be vigilant and safe on and near campus.” The message was posted by a student on Twitter.

New Orleans Police responded to a bomb threat at Xavier University at 3 p.m. local time, The Times Picayune reported.

Howard University in Washington, DC, reported at 4:52 p.m. that there was a potential bomb threat earlier on campus but that “no active devices were found.”

Prairie View A&M University in Texas reported a bomb threat about 5:10 p.m., according to a tweet from the school’s Senior Class Council.

And at 7:20 p.m., Norfolk State University in Virginia emailed the campus with a similar alert as NCCU’s, telling people to evacuate the campus because of a bomb threat, WAVY reported.

This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 6:45 PM with the headline "NCCU bomb threat prompts evacuation in Durham as other HBCUs receive similar threats."

Jessica Banov

The News & Observer

919-829-4831

Jessica Banov is an editor and audience growth specialist at The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun. She is the night Breaking News Editor for McClatchy’s Southeast region and The N&O’s Features Editor. She also serves as The News & Observer’s intern program coordinator.