Campus Alert Archive
FAMU

Part of a Nationwide Wave: FAMU Joins Four HBCUs Targeted by Phone Bomb Threats in a Single Week

FLbomb threatemergency notificationmedium 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 May 18, 2023, Florida A&M University received a bomb threat via telephone at 12:46 PM EDT in the university's Information Technology area. FAMU Police and the Tallahassee Police Department searched all campus buildings. An all-clear was issued around 2:50 PM after confirming no bomb was present. FAMU was one of four HBCUs to receive bomb threats that week.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Hbcu · FL
~10,000 studentsFAMU Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

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
Approximate reconstruction216 chars
FAMU ALERT: A bomb threat has been received on campus. FAMU Police and Tallahassee Police are responding. All campus buildings are being evaluated. Avoid campus buildings and follow instructions from law enforcement.

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

Reconstructed from Yahoo News/AP and HBCU Pulse coverage; the threat was received via phone call at 12:46 PM EDT
The threat was phoned into the university's Information Technology area
FAMU was one of four HBCUs to receive bomb threats that same week, including Prairie View A&M, Jackson State, and St. Phillips College
ALL CLEARPush+2h 4m
Approximate reconstruction169 chars
FAMU ALERT UPDATE: All clear. FAMU Police and Tallahassee Police have completed a search of all campus buildings. No bomb was found. Normal campus operations may resume.

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

Reconstructed from Yahoo News/AP coverage of the all-clear
The all-clear came approximately two hours after the initial threat was received
Both FAMU Police and the Tallahassee Police Department participated in the building searches
Context

Background

On May 18, 2023, Florida A&M University received a bomb threat via telephone at 12:46 PM EDT directed at the university's Information Technology area. FAMU Police and the Tallahassee Police Department responded immediately, evaluating and searching all campus buildings. An all-clear was issued around 2:50 PM after confirming no explosive devices were present. FAMU was one of four HBCUs to receive bomb threats that same week, alongside Prairie View A&M, Jackson State University, and St. Phillips College. This continued a troubling pattern of coordinated bomb threats targeting historically Black colleges and universities that began in early 2022, when more than 50 HBCUs received bomb threats over several weeks. The psychological toll of repeated threats has been a major concern for HBCU campus communities, even when individual threats are confirmed as hoaxes.
Analysis

Key Findings

FAMU was one of four HBCUs targeted by bomb threats in the same week, continuing a pattern of coordinated threats against historically Black institutions
The two-hour response from threat receipt to all-clear involved both campus police and the Tallahassee Police Department
The repeated targeting of HBCUs has raised ongoing concerns about the psychological impact on these campus communities
Outcome
FAMU Police and Tallahassee Police searched all campus buildings and confirmed no explosive devices were present. The all-clear was issued around 2:50 PM EDT. No arrests were announced.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Florida A&M University receives bomb threat, issues an all-clear alert following a search (Yahoo News/AP)
    sports.yahoo.com
  2. Source
    Bomb Threats Reported At Four HBCUs This Week (HBCU Pulse)
    hbcupulse.com
  3. Source
    Bomb Scares Leave Scars at Florida A&M University (Diverse: Issues in Higher Education)
    diverseeducation.com
Tags
bomb-threathoaxfloridahbcuphone-threatcoordinated-threatstallahasseeHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion