Historically Black Colleges and Universities receive bomb threats on first day of Black History Month

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

In a growing national trend, at least 13 Historically Black Colleges and Universities received bomb threats today, on the first day of Black History Month.

One Missouri HBCU, Harris-Stowe in St. Louis, is among the 13 to receive bomb threats. Howard University also received a threat on Monday. Law enforcement has not found any actual bombs, but federal law enforcement is working on the case.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the president is aware of the threats.

"I will say that these are certainly disturbing, and the White House is in touch with the interagency partners including federal law enforcement leadership on this," Psaki said. "We're relieved to hear that Howard and Besson Cookman Universities have been given the all-clear and will continue to monitor these reports."

Lincoln university here in Jefferson City has not received a threat, but Chief Gary Hill with University Police told ABC 17 he is actively in contact with other HBCUs about the threats.

"What I don't want to happen is because of the frequency of the threats that we get ourselves lull asleep, and then the one time that we don't take it seriously will be the one time in the sense that something happens," Hill said.

In a statement, Lincoln University President Dr. John B. Mosely said the university supports fellow HBCUs.

“We would like to assure our campus community that we have proactively monitored this situation. It is disturbing that bomb threats at our fellow HBCU campuses would occur - at the most family-centered environments for education," Mosely said.

"If they see something they say something any out-of-place items, bags, any letters or anything that they received, it appears to be out of place either to contact us," Hill said.

Lincoln Univesity police can be reached at 573-681-5555 or 5555 on-campus phones. Federal law enforcement can be contacted at 888-283-8477, or you can reach the FBI about these threats at 800-225-5324.