Xavier University, other HBCUs targeted with bomb threats

On Tuesday, January 4, Xavier University of Louisiana was forced to evacuate its campus due to a bomb threat.

According to reports, around 3 p.m. on last Tuesday, a call came in to the Xavier Police University Department with the caller claiming bombs had been planted on campus.

The suspect also threatened to “shoot up the campus,” according to the report.

NOPD were immediately called and the campus evacuated. Also responding was Homeland Security and the FBI. No bombs were discovered. And while the campus was cleared of the threat, the University remains on alert.

Xavier was one of several HBCUs to receive bomb threats that day. Howard University, Spellman College, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Norfolk State University, Florida Memorial University, North Carolina Central University, Texas Southern and Prairie View A.M. were also targeted and investigations on each of those campus turned up no bombs.

As of press time, authorities have not yet determined if there are any connections to the threats.

These bomb threats come months after ransomware attacks brought on-campus activity to a standstill at a number of HBCUs including Howard and Prairie View A&M. A million-dollar initiative has since been launched to help HBCUs upgrade their cybersecurity.

Sam P. K. Collins of The Washington Informer contributed to this report.

This article originally published in the January 10, 2022 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.