SUBR

Third Evacuation in 30 Days at Southern University as Cade Library Cleared by ATF, BRPD, and Sheriff's Office

Tuesday, September 30, 2025LAthreat of violenceemergency 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.

On September 30, 2025, Southern University evacuated the John B. Cade Library due to a potential threat just before noon, the third major campus emergency at the Baton Rouge HBCU in a single month. Baton Rouge Police, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms responded to the scene, closing surrounding streets. An all-clear was issued by approximately 1:30 p.m. CDT.

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

Institution

Southern University and A&M College

Hbcu · LA

~6,500 studentsSU 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 ALERTEmailJust before noon, September 30, 2025, CDT

Approximate reconstruction260 chars

Southern University is evacuating the John B. Cade Library as a precautionary measure due to a potential threat. The library will remain closed until further notice as authorities investigate. Please avoid the area around the Cade Library until further notice.

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

Reconstructed from WBRZ, WAFB, and The Advocate reporting; exact wording not confirmed from official SU archive

Third building evacuation at Southern University in September 2025 -- preceded by Sept. 11 HBCU coordinated threats and Sept. 22 Fisher Hall suspicious item

BRPD, East Baton Rouge Sheriff, and ATF were all on scene, indicating elevated federal concern given the recent pattern of HBCU threats

ALL CLEAREmailSep 30, 2025, 6:30 PM EST

Approximate reconstruction158 chars

An all clear has been issued for the John B. Cade Library area. The campus is now open. Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this investigation.

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

Reconstructed from WAFB reporting; exact wording not confirmed

All-clear issued approximately 1:30 p.m. CDT, roughly 1.5 hours after initial evacuation order

Library remained closed for remainder of the day as a further precautionary measure even after the all-clear

Context

Background

The John B. Cade Library is the main research library on Southern University's Baton Rouge campus. When a potential threat was reported just before noon on September 30, 2025, the university moved quickly to evacuate the building and coordinate with multiple law enforcement agencies. Witnesses observed Baton Rouge Police, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's deputies, and ATF agents closing streets around the library, an unusually heavy multi-agency response that reflected the heightened security posture following repeated threats to Southern's campus that month. This was the third major safety incident at the university in September 2025: the September 11 HBCU-wide hoax threats that prompted a multi-day campus closure, the September 22 Fisher Hall suspicious-item evacuation, and now the Cade Library evacuation. No credible threat was ultimately found in any of the three incidents, but the cumulative disruption to academic operations at one of Louisiana's largest HBCUs was significant.

Outcome

Scene cleared by 1:30 p.m. CDT. No threat confirmed. John B. Cade Library remained closed during the day as a precautionary measure following the clearance. This was the third evacuation of a Southern University building in September 2025.

Provenance

Alert Sequence

Background

Sources

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