Campus Alert Archive
WSSU

A Phoned-In Bomb Threat Joins a Nationwide Wave Against HBCUs

NCbomb 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 Wednesday, February 9, 2022, Winston-Salem State University received a bomb threat by phone around 11:30 a.m. EST. The HBCU judged there was not enough credible evidence to evacuate buildings but brought in Winston-Salem police and Forsyth County deputies, who searched every campus building and found no device by about 4:10 p.m. EST. It was one of dozens of threats against HBCUs in early 2022.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Winston-Salem State University
Hbcu · NC
~5,100 studentsRave Guardian
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 ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction219 chars
WSSU ALERT: A bomb threat was made against campus. Law enforcement is investigating. There is not enough credible evidence to evacuate at this time. Avoid suspicious objects and report anything unusual to campus police.

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

Reconstruction based on reporting that WSSU received the threat by phone about 11:30 a.m. EST and determined there was not enough credible evidence to evacuate buildings.
WSSU's decision not to evacuate, while still searching, reflects a deliberate threat-assessment posture that several HBCUs adopted during the 2022 wave to avoid mass disruption from likely hoaxes.
ALL CLEARSMS+4h 25m
Approximate reconstruction195 chars
WSSU ALERT: All clear. Law enforcement searched every campus building and found no explosive device. Normal operations continue. Thank you to our campus community for your patience and vigilance.

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

Reconstruction tied to reporting that, by shortly before 4:10 p.m. EST, officers had found no bomb or explosive device in any WSSU building.
The roughly four-and-a-half-hour gap between threat and all-clear reflects a building-by-building physical search rather than an evacuation.
Context

Background

Winston-Salem State University, a public HBCU founded in 1892, was one of many historically Black colleges targeted during a sustained wave of bomb threats in early 2022. On Wednesday, February 9, 2022, WSSU received a threat by phone around 11:30 a.m. EST. The university evaluated the threat and decided there was not enough credible evidence to evacuate, but called in the Winston-Salem Police Department and Forsyth County Sheriff's Office to search every campus building. By shortly before 4:10 p.m. EST, officers had found no device. The university used its Rave Guardian-based alert system to reach students by email, text, and phone. The threat fed into an FBI investigation of more than 50 threats against HBCUs, and Governor Roy Cooper later met with HBCU leaders over the campaign.
Analysis

Key Findings

WSSU chose threat assessment over automatic evacuation, searching all buildings while keeping operations running — a measured response to a likely hoax
The incident was part of a coordinated nationwide campaign of 50-plus bomb threats against HBCUs in early 2022 that drew FBI and gubernatorial attention
No explosive device was found; the threat resolved as a hoax roughly four and a half hours after the call
Outcome
Law enforcement searched all campus buildings and found no explosive device. No evacuation was ordered. The threat was part of a wave of more than 50 bomb threats against HBCUs investigated by the FBI.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Winston-Salem State receives bomb threat; two HBCUs in North Carolina receive bomb threats on Wednesday
    journalnow.com
  2. News
    Bomb threat made at Winston-Salem State University
    myfox8.com
  3. News
    Authorities investigate source of bomb threats targeting HBCUs
    abc11.com
  4. Official
    Governor Cooper, Public Safety Officials Discuss Safety Concerns with HBCU Leaders Following Recent Bomb Threats
    ncdps.gov
Tags
bomb-threatnorth-carolinahbcuhbcu-threat-wave-2022hoaxwinston-salememergency-notificationHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion