CHARLOTTE — The FBI said it knows who may be behind a series of threats against Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The New York Times reports six juveniles have been identified as persons of interest in the FBI’s investigation, and they could face hate crime charges. All of them have been connected to spoofed calls -- calls that come from a fake phone number.
Local HBCUs have not been affected as more than a dozen across the country have received bomb threats since Monday.
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Dr. Lester McCorn is the president of Clinton College in Rock Hill. He said the school has not received any bomb threats but explained that the campus is still taking precautions.
“We have had sort of a lockdown on campus, so everyone is virtual today and our residential students are going to take their courses online,” McCorn said. “We’ve asked the students who live on campus to remain in the rooms unless they absolutely have to leave.”
McCorn said it was not a fear-based decision, but one made from an abundance of caution. He explained that HBCUs can be easy targets for attacks.
“We are one of the most visible and prominent institutions in the African American community. I think if you want to send a message – especially threat or intimidation – you go after Black churches and Black colleges,” McCorn said. “We were birthed in struggle so we’re not new to this, as we say in the streets, we’re true to this – this is what we’re made of. Our ancestors fought too long and too hard for us to give up – to run in the face of intimidation or threats. We know what we have to do.”
Alicsya Barringer graduated from North Carolina Central University in 2015. She said the threats are disheartening, but not surprising.
“It’s just kind of, like, you can’t get ahead without being behind,” Barringer said. “Why are we being targeted?”
Barringer said she knows the HBCU community will continue to band together and stand strong.
“Safety comes first, but we’re going to continue to shine and continue to thrive,” Barringer said. “I really do hope we can figure out what’s going on and what the real motive is behind it.”
The FBI sent a statement to Channel 9 about the investigation:
“The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces are leading the investigation into the nationwide series of bomb threats to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and houses of worship. This investigation is of the highest priority for the Bureau and involves more than 20 FBI field offices across the country. These threats are being investigated as Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism and hate crimes. We are working closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, coordinating with the targeted institutions, and meeting with academia and faith leaders to share information.
“Although at this time no explosive devices have been found at any of the locations, the FBI takes all threats with the utmost seriousness, and we are committed to thoroughly and aggressively investigating these threats.
“Due to the continuing investigation, we are unable to provide more details at this time.
“The FBI will continue our work to make sure all races and religions feel safe in their communities, schools, and places of worship. We would like to remind members of the public that if they observe anything suspicious or have information about potential threats to report it to law enforcement immediately, call their local FBI field office, or submit a tip to tips.fbi.gov.”
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