ASU

Albany State Hit in Six-HBCU Simultaneous Bomb Threat Wave on Eve of Black History Month

Monday, January 31, 2022GAbomb threatemergency notificationhigh confidence

UnfoundedNo evidence of an actual threat was found. The institutional response is documented because the alert communication is identical to what would occur during a real incident.

Albany State University received a bomb threat on January 31, 2022, as part of a coordinated wave that simultaneously targeted six HBCUs. The campus was placed on shelter-in-place while law enforcement conducted a sweep. An all-clear was issued after no explosive devices were found. The timing, one day before the start of Black History Month, was widely interpreted as deliberate.

Alerts: 2
Response: —
Killed: —
Injured: —

Institution

Albany State University

Hbcu · GA

~6,700 studentsASU LiveSafe / Connect 5 Alert

Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmailMorning of January 31, 2022 EST

Verified verbatimAlbany State University official news release on the January 31, 2022 bomb threat, quoted verbatim by WALB and AJC217 chars

A bomb threat has been issued to Albany State University's academic buildings. Students and Employees should not report to campus until notice. Once the investigation is complete the campus community will be notified.

Specifies 'academic buildings' as the targeted area — narrower scoping than the campus-wide framing used by Howard or Bowie State the same morning

'Should not report to campus' is stay-away framing — a contrast with the simultaneous shelter-in-place orders at other HBCUs in the same wave

Part of a simultaneous wave hitting six HBCUs on the same day

Timing on January 31, the day before Black History Month, was widely noted as symbolic

ALL CLEAREmailApproximately 4:45 PM EST on January 31, 2022, after the ASU Police Department and partner agencies completed sweeps of all campus facilities

Approximate reconstruction161 chars

The campus has been swept and cleared by law enforcement. No threats were found. The shelter-in-place order has been lifted. Normal campus operations may resume.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news reports; exact wording not confirmed

All-clear was issued at approximately 4:45 PM EST per Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporting — roughly seven hours after the morning shelter-in-place

All-clear followed a standard bomb sweep protocol

Context

Background

Albany State University, a public HBCU in Albany, Georgia, was one of six historically Black institutions targeted simultaneously on January 31, 2022. This wave represented a significant escalation from the initial January 4-5 threats, demonstrating increasing coordination in the campaign. The timing, one day before the start of Black History Month, was widely interpreted as a deliberate and racially motivated provocation. Albany State, with approximately 6,700 students, is the largest HBCU in southwest Georgia. The January 31 wave brought significant national media attention to the crisis and prompted the FBI to publicly acknowledge the coordinated nature of the threats. The Bureau eventually identified six juveniles as persons of interest. No actual explosive devices were found at any of the targeted campuses.

Outcome

Campus swept by law enforcement. No explosive devices found. All-clear issued and normal operations resumed.

Provenance

Sources

Official
Campus Update: Bomb Threat Issued to Academic Buildings (Albany State University official news release)
asurams.edu
News
Six HBCUs receive bomb threats in coordinated wave
cnn.com
News
Albany State University among HBCUs targeted by bomb threats
walb.com

Alert Sequence

Background

Sources

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