Campus Alert Archive
BSC

Four North Dakota Campuses Evacuated Within Minutes of Each Other

NDbomb 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 Friday, August 15, 2025, four North Dakota colleges — Bismarck State College, Dickinson State University, Lake Region State College in Devils Lake, and Dakota College at Bottineau — were hit by near-simultaneous bomb threats and evacuated. The threats to the two southern schools came within a couple minutes of one another around midday, according to the North Dakota University System. Bismarck police gave the all-clear after about an hour, and all four campuses had received the all-clear by 2 p.m. No devices were found.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
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Institution
Bismarck State College
Community College · ND
BSC Alerts
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 reconstruction202 chars
BSC Alert: A bomb threat has been reported on campus. Evacuate all buildings immediately and move to a safe distance. Do not return until an all-clear is given. Follow instructions from law enforcement.

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

The threats to Bismarck State College and Dickinson State University arrived within a couple minutes of one another around midday on August 15, 2025, per the North Dakota University System.
Unlike many bomb-threat responses that shelter in place, these campuses evacuated buildings — appropriate when the threat names the building itself.
The exact alert wording and send time were not published; this is a reconstruction and the time is given as an approximation.
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction173 chars
BSC Alert: All clear. Law enforcement has searched campus and found no device. Classes are canceled for the remainder of the day. Buildings will reopen per further guidance.

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

Bismarck police gave the all-clear after about an hour, and all four campuses had received the all-clear by 2 p.m. CDT on August 15, 2025.
This is a true all-clear: it lifted the evacuation and stated no device was found, while noting classes were canceled for the day.
Because the wave hit four institutions at once, each issued its own all-clear; this reconstruction reflects the Bismarck State College message.
Context

Background

On Friday, August 15, 2025, a coordinated wave of bomb threats struck four North Dakota higher-education campuses. According to the Bismarck Tribune, Bismarck State College and Dickinson State University canceled classes and evacuated after threats that, per North Dakota University System spokeswoman Billie Jo Lorius, came within a couple minutes of one another around midday; Lake Region State College in Devils Lake and Dakota College at Bottineau received similar threats. KX News reported the buildings were evacuated and no active threats were found, with Bismarck police giving the all-clear after about an hour and all campuses cleared by 2 p.m. The episode coincided with a broader national surge of hoax threats and swatting calls aimed at college campuses in August 2025, several of which also struck North Dakota institutions.
Analysis

Key Findings

Four North Dakota campuses — Bismarck State, Dickinson State, Lake Region State, and Dakota College at Bottineau — received near-simultaneous bomb threats on August 15, 2025
The threats to the two southern schools arrived within a couple minutes of each other around midday
Bismarck police gave the all-clear after about an hour; all four campuses were cleared by 2 p.m. CDT
No devices were found; the wave was part of a national surge of hoax threats against colleges in August 2025
Outcome
Police swept all four campuses and found no explosive devices. Classes were canceled for the day at the affected schools. All campuses received the all-clear by 2 p.m. The episode was part of a national wave of hoax threats to colleges in August 2025.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    BSC, DSU evacuated for bomb threats; Bismarck police give all-clear - Bismarck Tribune
    bismarcktribune.com
  2. News
    Bomb threats target DSU, BSC; campus buildings evacuated, no active threats found - KX News
    kxnet.com
  3. News
    Spate of hoax calls about active shooters stir fear at college campuses around the US - Dakota News Now
    dakotanewsnow.com
Tags
bomb-threatemergency-notificationnorth-dakotacommunity-collegemulti-campusevacuationhoaxcoordinated-threatsHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion