Campus Alert Archive
Morgan State

Floor by Floor: Morgan State Police Sweep Richardson Library After Emailed Bomb Threat

MDbomb threatemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed HoaxDetermined to be a hoax. The institutional response is documented because it reveals how the alert system performed under a perceived real threat.

On September 30, 2025, Morgan State University's police department received an emailed bomb threat at 10:16 AM EDT claiming a potential explosive device was in the Earl S. Richardson Library. Officers evacuated the building and searched each floor before issuing an all-clear around 3:00 PM after finding no devices.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Morgan State University
Hbcu · MD
~9,200 studentsMSU Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction152 chars
MORGAN STATE ALERT: Stay clear of the Earl S. Richardson Library. Police are investigating a potential bomb threat. Avoid the area until further notice.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from WEAA and Fox Baltimore reporting; the email threat was received at 10:16 AM but discovered at 10:50 AM
The first student alert went out at 11:31 AM via text message, over an hour after the threatening email arrived
K9 units were deployed to search the three-floor library
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction162 chars
MORGAN STATE ALERT: All clear. The Earl S. Richardson Library has been cleared and is now reopened. No explosive devices were found. Normal operations may resume.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from Fox Baltimore and WMAR reporting
The all-clear came approximately four hours after the threat was discovered
The library reopened for normal operations after the all-clear was issued
Context

Background

On the morning of September 30, 2025, Morgan State University's police department received an email at 10:16 AM with an explicit threat of a possible explosive device in the Earl S. Richardson Library. The email was discovered at 10:50 AM, prompting officers to begin evacuating the building. Students were first alerted to stay clear of the library at 11:31 AM via text message. K9 units searched the three-floor library before police and university officials deemed the threat not credible and reopened the library just after 3:00 PM. The incident came just days before Morgan State's homecoming, heightening tension on campus. Nine other schools nationwide received bomb threats that same day, including Towson University and Delaware State University, as part of a broader coordinated campaign.
Analysis

Key Findings

The gap between threat receipt (10:16 AM), discovery (10:50 AM), and first student alert (11:31 AM) highlights delays in email-based threat detection
The bomb threat came days before Morgan State's homecoming, amplifying campus anxiety following the October 2023 homecoming shooting
The threat was part of a nationwide wave affecting at least ten universities on September 30, 2025
Outcome
No explosive devices were found. The library was reopened after the all-clear. The threat was part of a nationwide wave affecting at least nine other universities that same day, including Towson University, Delaware State University, and Alabama A&M.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Morgan State University reopens library after bomb threat (Fox Baltimore)
    foxbaltimore.com
  2. News
    Earl Richardson Library at Morgan evacuated due to potential bomb threat (WMAR)
    wmar2news.com
  3. News
    Campus threat heightens tension ahead of Morgan's Homecoming (WEAA)
    weaa.org
  4. News
    Towson, Morgan State universities both cleared after bomb threats (Baltimore Banner)
    thebanner.com
Tags
hbcubomb-threathoaxmarylandlibrarycoordinated-threathomecomingHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion