{ "id": "2022-02-01-morgan-state-university-bomb-threat", "slug": "morgan-state-university-bomb-threat-2022-02-01", "institution": { "name": "Morgan State University", "shortName": "Morgan State", "state": "MD", "type": "hbcu", "enrollment": 8600, "alertSystemName": "MSU Alert" }, "incident": { "date": "2022-02-01", "type": "bomb-threat", "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification", "headline": "Bomb threat closed campus for a building-by-building sweep; part of the HBCU threat wave", "headlinePublic": "Bomb threat closed campus for a building-by-building sweep; part of the HBCU threat wave", "summary": "Morgan State [issued a CAMPUS ALERT closing access and ordering shelter-in-place with remote instruction](https://x.com/MorganStateU/status/1488470520161001475) after a bomb threat on February 1, 2022, then [released a three-part all-clear after a thorough sweep](https://x.com/MorganStateU/status/1488587226854404103).", "outcome": "Shelter-in-place lifted at approximately 1:57 p.m. EST after the building-by-building sweep completed. No suspicious items found. Classes remained remote for the rest of the day; access to some buildings remained limited. FBI investigated as part of the broader HBCU bomb threat campaign.", "resolution": "unfounded" }, "alerts": [ { "sequence": 1, "type": "initial", "timestamp": "2022-02-01T06:13:21-05:00", "channel": "twitter-x", "verbatimText": "CAMPUS ALERT: Due to a bomb threat, access to campus will be closed as the University works with emergency personnel to assess the situation. Everyone on campus should shelter in place until further notice. All instruction will be remote and all employees should telework.", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/MorganStateU/status/1488470520161001475", "sourceDescription": "@MorganStateU CAMPUS ALERT bomb threat shelter", "annotations": [ "EXPANSION 2026-08-02 flip: dual independent x_thread_fetch match; official @MorganStateU artifact outranks news paraphrase. SPN 523.", "Prior demote was news-only incomplete citation; flip cites official X full text." ], "characterCount": 272 }, { "sequence": 2, "type": "update", "timestamp": "2022-02-01T06:13:44-05:00", "channel": "twitter-x", "verbatimText": "Essential employees will be contacted by their supervisor with additional direction.", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/MorganStateU/status/1488470616449732617", "sourceDescription": "@MorganStateU essential employees follow-up", "annotations": [ "EXPANSION 2026-08-02 flip: dual independent x_thread_fetch match; official @MorganStateU artifact outranks news paraphrase. SPN 523." ], "characterCount": 84 }, { "sequence": 3, "type": "update", "timestamp": "2022-02-01T13:57:06-05:00", "channel": "twitter-x", "verbatimText": "(1) CAMPUS UPDATE: Following a thorough and exhaustive sweep of the campus and its buildings, including all residential facilities on and off site, no suspicious items were discovered, and nothing has been deemed as being out of place. (Continued in thread)", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/MorganStateU/status/1488587226854404103", "sourceDescription": "@MorganStateU all-clear thread part 1", "annotations": [ "EXPANSION 2026-08-02 flip: dual independent x_thread_fetch match; official @MorganStateU artifact outranks news paraphrase. SPN 523.", "Replaces prior reconstructed all-clear composite from WYPR paraphrase." ], "characterCount": 257 }, { "sequence": 4, "type": "all-clear", "timestamp": "2022-02-01T13:59:20-05:00", "channel": "twitter-x", "verbatimText": "(2) The shelter-in-place order has been lifted and an all clear has been issued. The University will continue to work with local, state and federal law enforcement investigating of this matter. Telework and remote instruction will continue for the remainder of the day.", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/MorganStateU/status/1488587790996709376", "sourceDescription": "@MorganStateU all-clear thread part 2", "annotations": [ "EXPANSION 2026-08-02 flip: dual independent x_thread_fetch match; official @MorganStateU artifact outranks news paraphrase. SPN 523.", "Double space before \"investigating\" preserved from official text." ], "characterCount": 270 }, { "sequence": 5, "type": "update", "timestamp": "2022-02-01T13:59:59-05:00", "channel": "twitter-x", "verbatimText": "(3) It is now safe to move about the campus, however, building access will remain limited. To accommodate on-campus dining needs, the Rawlings Dining Hall will continue operations. Normal campus operations will resume tomorrow.", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/MorganStateU/status/1488587952087314432", "sourceDescription": "@MorganStateU all-clear thread part 3", "annotations": [ "EXPANSION 2026-08-02 flip: dual independent x_thread_fetch match; official @MorganStateU artifact outranks news paraphrase. SPN 523." ], "characterCount": 227 } ], "context": "[Morgan State University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_State_University), Maryland's preeminent public urban research HBCU, received a bomb threat on February 1, 2022, the first day of Black History Month. The symbolic timing was unmistakable. President David Wilson publicly confirmed the threat and ordered an immediate campus closure, with all classes shifted to remote instruction. Law enforcement conducted a methodical building-by-building search, prioritizing residential halls where students were sheltering in place. This approach started with occupied buildings before unoccupied ones. No explosive devices were found. The threat was part of the [broader wave that targeted dozens of HBCUs](https://www.npr.org/2022/02/08/1079294424/hbcu-bomb-threats-black-colleges) between January and February 2022 (federal officials counted at least 57 bomb threats against HBCUs and other institutions in that period), which the FBI investigated as racially motivated hate crimes. Six juveniles were [eventually identified as persons of interest](https://virginiamercury.com/2022/03/17/most-hbcu-bomb-threats-may-be-coming-from-one-juvenile-fbi-official-tells-congress/) in the campaign.", "keyFindings": [ "The February 1 timing on the first day of Black History Month was clearly symbolic, amplifying the psychological impact on the campus community", "Morgan State's decision to prioritize residential hall sweeps reflected a risk-based approach, clearing occupied buildings before unoccupied ones", "President Wilson's public confirmation of the threat provided institutional transparency to the campus community during the crisis", "The immediate pivot to remote classes minimized academic disruption while maintaining safety protocols" ], "sources": [ { "title": "Morgan State University receives bomb threat on first day of Black History Month (Baltimore Sun)", "url": "https://www.baltimoresun.com/2022/02/01/morgan-state-university-bomb-threat/", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "HBCUs receive bomb threats on first day of Black History Month (NBC News)", "url": "https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/least-6-historically-black-colleges-universities-receive-bomb-threats-f-rcna14547", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "Morgan State, Coppin State Campuses Cleared After Bomb Threats (CBS Baltimore)", "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/morgan-state-university-on-lockdown-due-to-bomb-threat/", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "Morgan State, Coppin State lift shelter-in-place notices; FBI to investigate threats to HBCUs (WYPR)", "url": "https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news/2022-02-01/morgan-state-coppin-state-lift-shelter-in-place-notices-fbi-to-investigate-threats-to-hbcus", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "@MorganStateU CAMPUS ALERT", "url": "https://x.com/MorganStateU/status/1488470520161001475", "type": "official-social", "accessDate": "2026-08-02", "archiveUrl": null, "archiveNotes": "SPN 523" }, { "title": "@MorganStateU essential follow-up", "url": "https://x.com/MorganStateU/status/1488470616449732617", "type": "official-social", "accessDate": "2026-08-02", "archiveUrl": null, "archiveNotes": "SPN 523" }, { "title": "@MorganStateU all-clear 1/3", "url": "https://x.com/MorganStateU/status/1488587226854404103", "type": "official-social", "accessDate": "2026-08-02", "archiveUrl": null, "archiveNotes": "SPN 523" }, { "title": "@MorganStateU all-clear 2/3", "url": "https://x.com/MorganStateU/status/1488587790996709376", "type": "official-social", "accessDate": "2026-08-02", "archiveUrl": null, "archiveNotes": "SPN 523" }, { "title": "@MorganStateU all-clear 3/3", "url": "https://x.com/MorganStateU/status/1488587952087314432", "type": "official-social", "accessDate": "2026-08-02", "archiveUrl": null, "archiveNotes": "SPN 523" } ], "confidence": "high", "tags": [ "bomb-threat", "hbcu", "hbcu-bomb-wave-2022", "racially-motivated", "coordinated-threat", "black-history-month", "maryland", "building-by-building-search" ], "dateAdded": "2026-04-04", "lastUpdated": "2026-08-02", "addedBy": "ingestion", "summary": "[Morgan State University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_State_University) received a bomb threat on the morning of February 1, 2022, the first day of [Black History Month](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_History_Month). President David Wilson confirmed the threat and ordered the campus closed, with all classes moved to remote instruction. Law enforcement conducted a building-by-building search starting with residential halls. The [shelter-in-place was lifted at approximately 1:57 p.m. EST](https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news/2022-02-01/morgan-state-coppin-state-lift-shelter-in-place-notices-fbi-to-investigate-threats-to-hbcus) after a 'thorough and exhaustive sweep' of all buildings, including residential facilities on and off site. No explosive devices were found." }