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Bomb threats at 57 Black colleges, churches
The FBI is investigating the HBCU bomb threats as racially motivated violent extremism and hate crimes and they are among the agency’s highest priorities.
WASHINGTON - Nearly 60 Black colleges and churches have received bomb threats since the beginning of the year, according to the FBI.
The FBI said Wednesday the cases are being investigated as racially motivated violent extremism and hate crimes and are among the agency’s highest priorities.
"The bomb threats have been made in phone calls, emails, instant messages, and anonymous online posts," the agency said in a statement. "FBI agents from multiple field offices are conducting hundreds of interviews and gathering a variety of electronic evidence for analysis."
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HBCU bomb threats prompt campuses across US to heighten police presence
Historically Black colleges and universities in the D.C. region, and around the country, have increased their police presence Wednesday following a second day of targeted bomb threats.
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The agency declined to provide a list of the 57 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, houses of worship and other faith-based and academic institutions that have been targeted between January 4 and February 16.
Howard University has gotten four threats since January and Bowie State University also received a bomb threat.
The FBI declined an interview about the investigation.
Tim Gallagher worked for the FBI for over 20 years and is now Managing Director at Kroll Cyber.
"Any time you have a threat to life, the FBI is going to give it the highest priority," Gallagher said.
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He says cases like this are more challenging than just tracing a phone call.
"I’ve worked many threat cases where it may look like the calls are coming in locally, however with spoofing and use of the Internet and the way the phones work these days, it can look like it’s coming locally when it’s actually coming from abroad," Gallagher said.
It took the FBI two years to track down a man who threatened online to murder African-Americans at Howard in 2015. Sex offender John Edgar Rust was ultimately sentenced to 33 months in prison.
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Officials investigate bomb threats at HBCUs
FOX 5's Sierra Fox reports from Howard University, where bomb threats were called in two days in a row this week.
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The FBI has not announced arrests or suspects in the recent bomb threats, despite media reports that several juveniles had been identified as persons of interest.
D.C. Public Schools was also hit by bomb threats earlier this month with police arresting two 16-year-olds.
Those teens are charged as juveniles and both have been released according to a spokesman for D.C. courts.