Campus Alert Archive
SSCC

Both Shelton State Campuses Evacuated in Alabama's 13-Campus Bomb Threat Wave: No Devices Found, College Closed All Day

ALbomb 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 July 27, 2022, Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama was one of at least 13 Alabama college campuses targeted by coordinated bomb threats, prompting evacuation of both its Fredd and Martin campuses after a caller reported an explosive device in one of the buildings. Tuscaloosa Police and the FBI investigated and found no explosive devices; the college remained closed for the day and returned to normal operations July 28.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Shelton State Community College
Community College · AL
~5,000 students
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 reconstruction246 chars
SHELTON STATE ALERT: Due to a reported bomb threat, both the Fredd Campus and the Martin Campus are closed. All students, faculty, and staff must evacuate all buildings immediately. Law enforcement is on scene. Do not return until further notice.

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

Tuscaloosa Police responded to a caller who reported an explosive device in one of the buildings at Shelton State Community College
Both the Fredd Campus and Martin Campus in Tuscaloosa were evacuated; all faculty, staff and students were told to leave
Shelton State was one of at least 13 Alabama college campuses targeted by bomb threats on July 27, 2022
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction252 chars
SHELTON STATE ALERT: Law enforcement has completed its investigation of both campuses. No explosive devices were found. The College will remain closed for today. Normal operations will resume tomorrow, Thursday, July 28. Thank you for your cooperation.

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

No explosive devices were found at either campus after a full law enforcement sweep
Despite the all-clear, the college opted to keep both campuses closed for the remainder of July 27
Normal operations resumed on July 28, 2022
Context

Background

On July 27, 2022, Shelton State Community College's two Tuscaloosa campuses -- the Fredd Campus and the Martin Campus -- were evacuated after a caller reported that an explosive device had been placed in one of the college's buildings. This was part of a coordinated wave of bomb threats that hit at least 13 Alabama colleges and universities on July 27, including Auburn University, Jefferson State Community College, and multiple other community colleges across the state. Tuscaloosa Police responded immediately and conducted a complete sweep of both campuses with no explosive devices found. The FBI was investigating the threats as a nationwide pattern, with 34 field offices working the cases in coordination with local law enforcement. Although no threats were deemed credible at any of the targeted Alabama institutions, Shelton State kept its campuses closed for the full day as a precaution, with normal operations resuming July 28. The July 2022 wave was distinct from the earlier January-February 2022 HBCU-targeted bomb threats; the July wave targeted a wider range of institutions including community colleges. A minor was later charged in connection with dozens of the 2022 HBCU bomb threats, but the broader July wave remained under investigation.
Analysis

Key Findings

Both Shelton State campuses were evacuated simultaneously, an operationally complex response for a multi-campus community college system
The July 2022 bomb threat wave hit at least 13 Alabama colleges in a single day, a scale of coordinated threats unprecedented in the state's higher education history
Despite the all-clear, the college made the policy decision to keep campuses closed for the full day, prioritizing community confidence over immediate resumption of operations
The FBI's involvement with 34 field offices reflects the nationwide scale of the summer 2022 bomb threat campaign targeting colleges
Outcome
Both Fredd and Martin campuses fully evacuated. Tuscaloosa Police and FBI swept both campuses and found no explosive devices or credible threats. College remained closed for all of July 27. Normal operations resumed July 28. The FBI was investigating with 34 field offices working the nationwide series of bomb threats targeting community colleges and universities.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Shelton State Community College campuses closed after explosive device reported (ABC 33/40)
    abc3340.com
  2. News
    Several Ala. colleges receive bomb threats Wednesday (WBRC)
    wbrc.com
  3. News
    Bomb threat closes Shelton State, other Alabama community colleges Wednesday (WVUA 23)
    wvua23.com
  4. News
    Several Alabama community colleges and universities respond to apparent bomb threats (Alabama Public Radio)
    apr.org
Tags
bomb-threatcommunity-collegealabamatuscaloosahoaxcoordinated-threatfbi-investigationcampus-closureHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion