PVAMU

Prairie View A&M Targeted in the Very First Wave of 2022 HBCU Bomb Threats

Wednesday, January 5, 2022TXbomb threatemergency notificationmedium confidence

UnfoundedNo evidence of an actual threat was found. The institutional response is documented because the alert communication is identical to what would occur during a real incident.

Prairie View A&M University received a bomb threat on January 5, 2022, as part of the very first wave of coordinated HBCU bomb threats. The threat was received around 5 p.m. and the campus was placed on alert while law enforcement conducted a sweep. No explosive devices were found. This was among the earliest threats in a campaign that would eventually target dozens of HBCUs and produce at least 57 bomb threats against HBCUs and other institutions.

Alerts: 2
Response: —
Killed: —
Injured: —

Institution

Prairie View A&M University

Hbcu · TX

~9,500 studentsPanther Alert System

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 ALERTEmailAround 5:00 p.m. CST, January 5, 2022

Approximate reconstruction164 chars

Prairie View A&M University has received a bomb threat. All persons on campus are advised to shelter in place and await further instructions from university police.

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

Reconstructed from news reports; exact original wording not confirmed

Part of the January 4-5 first wave, before the much larger January 31 wave

Threat initially circulated on social media including TikTok before official notifications went out

ALL CLEAREmailEvening of January 5, 2022

Approximate reconstruction141 chars

Law enforcement has completed their sweep of the campus. No devices were found. The threat has been cleared and normal operations may resume.

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

Reconstructed from news reports; exact wording not confirmed

All-clear came after law enforcement completed a full campus sweep

Context

Background

Prairie View A&M University, a historically Black university in the Texas A&M system, was among the very first HBCUs targeted in the 2022 bomb threat campaign. The January 4-5 wave hit at least six HBCUs and preceded the much larger January 31 wave that brought national attention to the crisis. The early threats were first noted on TikTok and other social media before many campuses had issued official alerts, highlighting the speed at which threat information spread through unofficial channels. Prairie View, located about 50 miles northwest of Houston, has approximately 9,500 students. The FBI eventually identified six juveniles as persons of interest in the broader coordinated campaign, which was investigated as a series of racially motivated hate crimes.

Outcome

Campus swept by law enforcement. No explosive devices found. Normal operations resumed.

Provenance

Sources

News
Several HBCUs receive bomb threats on first day of Black History Month
cnn.com
News
Prairie View A&M among HBCUs receiving bomb threats in January 2022
khou.com

Alert Sequence

Background

Sources

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