A sign welcomes visitors to Howard University in Washington, DC, on February 1, 2022. – Authorities are investigating bomb threats made against UDC, Howard University, and Morgan State University. This is the second day in a row that historically Black colleges and universities across the US were targeted by similar threats.Photo: MANDEL NGAN / AFP (Getty Images)
We might be a step closer to finding out who has been sending racially-motivated bomb threats that have terrorized historically Black colleges through the bulk of this year. An FBI official announced Monday that many of those threats have been linked to one single juvenile, according to USA Today. State authorities are currently prosecuting this person. Because they are a juvenile, the identity of the suspect has not be revealed.From the Georgia Recorder:
“Given the federal limitations for charging under-age perpetrators with federal crimes, the Department of Justice worked with state prosecutors to hold them accountable on charges unrelated to the specific threats to the HBCUs,” according to the FBI. “This individual is under restrictions and monitoring of his online activities.”
Cheat Sheet: What Does It Mean To Be Impeached?
Cheat Sheet: What Does It Mean To Be Impeached?
Since the beginning of this year, the Department of Homeland Security has said that bomb threats have targeted 49 HBCUs and 19 Predominately Black institutions through phone calls, e-mails, instant messages, and anonymous online posts. Back in March, the FBI had said there were six suspects identified in their ongoing probe, which the agency said were using“sophisticated methods to try to disguise the source of the threats.”
Another investigation continues into two other tranches of threat streams: one involving 19 racially-motived communications between Feb. 8 and March 31 that have since been linked to international internet addresses. The other started on June 7, when more than 250 colleges — including seven HBCUs — and more than 100 high schools received either bomb or lively shooter threats.
HBCU leaders have previously been frustrated with what they feel is ponderous progress in finding out who is responsible for these threats. The FBI hopes these novel findings show they are putting forth effort.
