Bethune-Cookman threat: Police say college targeted by man claiming to be with neo-Nazi group
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Classes will resume Tuesday at Bethune-Cookman University after bomb and shooting threats put the campus on lockdown.
Officials say they believe a group targeting African-Americans is behind the threat and on Monday, 6 historically black colleges and universities across the country faced simultaneous bomb threats.
Two threats were called in around 4:00 a.m. Monday for Bethune-Cookman University. Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young says a man claiming to be affiliated with a Neo-Nazi group claimed there were seven explosives on campus and said there would be an active shooting around lunchtime.
Students sheltered in place as the bomb squad went building by building. After five hours of searching, police say no explosives were found.
RELATED: HBCU bomb threats reported at several universities across US
"The Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD) is working with various law enforcement agencies – including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – as investigators look into threats made across the United States today (January 31, 2022) at various Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU," the police department wrote in a news release sent to FOX 35 News.
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Bowie State University in suburban Washington, D.C., Albany State University in Georgia, and Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana all reported "bomb threats."
On Tuesday, school officials at Edward Waters University, a historically Black college in Jacksonville, said they received a bomb threat. Students were notified through social media.
"Effective immediately, all in person activities, classes and operations including all meetings and athletic practices are canceled until further notice. JSO has been notified and is investigating. Please stay tuned to the EWU communications as information becomes available," the school tweeted.
"I will say that these are certainly disturbing," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. "And the White House is in touch with interagency partners, including federal law enforcement leadership on this."
"The president is aware. I don’t believe he’s received a formal briefing, but he is aware of these reports," she added.
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