Various historically black schools placed on heightened security after threats

Multiple historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, went into lockdown on Thursday after receiving reports of threats against campuses or areas nearby. Alabama State University, Virginia State University, Bethune-Cookman University, and Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge cancelled classes and ordered students on campus to shelter in place. Georgia’s Clark Atlanta University also issued a shelter-in-place order after receiving a threat, according to local reports.

Virginia’s Hampton University cancelled classes through the end of the week and ordered all nonessential campus activity to cease, according to a Thursday statement. The University of Central Florida confirmed that the threat it received was unfounded and allowed normal campus operations to continue. Howard University and Florida A&M University had not received any threats on Thursday, but planned to stay vigilant and support sister schools, they said.

The reported threats coincided with the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, and came one day after conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was shot dead while speaking on a college campus.

How are people responding?

• America must do better because this is not okay, Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, wrote Thursday.

• HBCUs have always been safe havens, and they are not to be targets for violence, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D.-Texas, wrote Thursday.

• These terrorist threats merit federal investigation, Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr., D-Ga., said Thursday.

The Congressional Black Caucus also called on the Department of Justice and the FBI to swiftly investigate and prosecute the responsible parties. Threats made against HBCUs can’t be swept aside, the group affirmed. These terroristic threats were designed to intimidate and foment hatred against Americans, and that can’t go unchallenged, the group added.