BOWIE, Md. — Bomb threats have been reported at several historically Black colleges and universities across the country, according to school spokespersons and local police departments. Bowie State University and Howard University were both impacted Monday morning.
In the DMV, a shelter-in-place order lasted several hours at Bowie State after the Bowie City Police Department received a call for a bomb threat around 6 a.m. Dogs and the Maryland State Fire Marshal bomb squad performed multiple sweeps of the campus, and around 1:30 p.m. Maryland State Police said the scene was clear, no devices had been found. MDSP tweeted that the "investigation continues."
School officials said the campus will remain closed Monday, and all classes moved to virtual learning for the day. Employees were asked to telework.
"Although the credibility of this phone call is in question, it's important to note that the Maryland State Police and all of our investigators who are working this take bomb threats very seriously and will be conducting a thorough investigation," MDSP spokesperson Elena Russo said.
Russo added that the motive behind the phone call is not known.
MARC Penn Line Trains will not be stopping at Bowie Station due to the police activity.
In a separate incident, the Metropolitan Police Department received a report of a bomb threat at an unoccupied administrative building at Howard University around 4:30 a.m. Monday.
MPD's Explosive Ordinance Division (EOD) responded and did a sweep of the building. Nothing hazardous was found and they've cleared the scene.
"The Department of Public Safety issued two safety alert updates this morning concerning investigation of a bomb threat," the school said in a statement. "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 4:35 a.m. ... Those are the details we have now. The campus is safe."
It is unknown if the incidents at Bowie State and Howard are related, but they were not the only HBCUs impacted. At least six historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) received bomb threats Monday morning.
6. Delaware State University
"The reports of nation-wide bomb threats against HBCU campuses this morning are horrifying and inexcusable," Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland), the House Majority Leader, said in a statement. "I remain deeply concerned about the well-being and safety of students, staff, and professors at Bowie State University and all who sheltered in place on campus this morning. The threat today is the second time this month that HBCUs have been targeted, and the terror it has caused raises serious questions about the existence of hate-based violence across our nation and in our communities. I strongly condemn these threats today and urge a complete and thorough investigation into this attack and demand that justice be served.”