Campus Alert Archive
B-CU

Shelter in Your Dorm: Bethune-Cookman Locks Down for Bomb Threat as HBCUs Nationwide Face Coordinated Attacks

FLbomb threatemergency notificationhigh confidence
Confirmed HoaxDetermined to be a hoax. The institutional response is documented because it reveals how the alert system performed under a perceived real threat.

On September 11, 2025, Bethune-Cookman University canceled classes and locked down the campus after receiving a bomb threat as part of a coordinated wave targeting HBCUs. Students sheltered in their dorm rooms while police conducted building sweeps. The lockdown was lifted Friday morning after the FBI found no credible threat.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Bethune-Cookman University
Hbcu · FL
~2,800 studentsWildcat 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 ALERTPush
Verified verbatimBethune-Cookman University official Facebook post (12:23 PM, Sept 11, 2025) quoted verbatim by Action News Jax and Fox 35 Orlando374 chars
Due to a potential threat to campus safety, as a precaution, Bethune-Cookman University is currently on lockdown. All classes have been canceled; students should return to their dorm rooms and shelter in place. All faculty and staff should head home and those not on campus should plan to work remotely. Safety is our first priority, and we will continue to provide updates.
Verbatim text of B-CU's official Facebook lockdown post, sent at approximately 12:23 PM EDT on September 11, 2025
Bethune-Cookman was one of at least seven HBCUs to receive threats on September 11, 2025
Students were specifically instructed to return to their dorms, indicating residential campus protocols; remote-work instructions for faculty/staff reflect a full campus stand-down
ALL CLEARPush
Approximate reconstruction176 chars
B-CU ALERT: The lockdown has been lifted. After working with local, state and federal law enforcement, no credible threat was found. Normal campus operations will resume today.

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

Reconstructed from Fox 35 Orlando reporting on the lifting of the lockdown
The all-clear was issued the following morning, meaning the lockdown lasted approximately 24 hours
Local, state, and federal law enforcement all participated in clearing the campus
Context

Background

On September 11, 2025, Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, locked down its campus after receiving a bomb threat. Students were ordered to shelter in their dorm rooms while police conducted building sweeps. The threat was part of a coordinated wave targeting multiple HBCUs across the country on the same day, including Virginia State University, Hampton University, Alabama State University, Southern University, and Clark Atlanta University. The lockdown was lifted Friday morning after the FBI determined the threats were a hoax. The 2025 threats echoed the 2022 wave of bomb threats that targeted dozens of HBCUs, including Bethune-Cookman.
Analysis

Key Findings

The lockdown lasted approximately 24 hours, from Thursday morning through Friday morning
Bethune-Cookman was targeted in both the 2022 and 2025 HBCU bomb threat waves, making it a repeat victim
The involvement of local, state, and federal law enforcement reflected the multi-jurisdictional nature of the coordinated threat campaign
Outcome
No explosive devices or credible threats were found. The lockdown was lifted Friday morning, September 12. The FBI classified the threats as hoax calls. Normal campus operations resumed.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Lockdown at Bethune-Cookman University lifted after potential threat (Fox 35 Orlando)
    fox35orlando.com
  2. News
    Potential threat prompts lockdown at Bethune-Cookman University (ClickOrlando)
    clickorlando.com
  3. News
    Threat prompts Bethune-Cookman University lockdown (Central Florida Public Media)
    cfpublic.org
  4. News
    Bethune-Cookman moving on after last week's lockdown (Daytona Times)
    daytonatimes.com
  5. News
    Bethune-Cookman University on lockdown, closes campus 'due to a potential threat' (Action News Jax — quoting B-CU's official Facebook lockdown post verbatim)
    actionnewsjax.com
  6. Social
    Bethune-Cookman University official Facebook page (source of the verbatim lockdown post, 12:23 PM Sept 11, 2025)
    facebook.com
Tags
hbcubomb-threathoaxfloridacoordinated-threatseptember-11lockdowndaytona-beachHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion