Campus Alert Archive
Spelman

Another Black History Month, Another HBCU Bomb Threat: Spelman Shelters After Clark Atlanta Call

GAbomb threatemergency notificationhigh 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 the afternoon of February 20, 2025, a bomb threat was phoned in targeting Clark Atlanta University's campus. Because Spelman and Clark Atlanta share an interlocking campus footprint in the Atlanta University Center, Spelman activated its Spelman ALERT system at 4:30 PM EST directing students on the CAU side of campus to shelter in place. Atlanta Police, including bomb-robot units, swept Wright Hall and the surrounding 223 James P. Brawley Drive SW area before issuing an all-clear. The incident was the second Black History Month bomb threat to hit the AUC since the 2022 nationwide HBCU bomb-threat wave.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Spelman College
Hbcu · GA
~2,600 studentsSpelman ALERT
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence · 2 verified verbatim

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Verified verbatimSpelman College Alert Archive (spelman.edu/alerts)160 chars
Spelman ALERT: Bomb Threat on the CAU campus. Students on CAU's Campus should shelter in place. All others should stay clear of CAU campus until further notice.
Exact wording confirmed against Spelman's official alert archive page dated 2025-02-20
Spelman's alert was issued for a threat to a neighboring institution — illustrative of how the AUC consortium triggers cross-campus shelter orders when any one school is targeted
Posted at 4:30 PM EST and last updated February 21, 2025 at 6:57 AM EST, suggesting the alert stayed active overnight for off-hours travelers
ALL CLEARSMS
Verified verbatimSpelman College Alert Archive — official all-clear page for CAU Campus bomb threat (2-20-2025), last updated February 21, 2025 at 6:57 AM EST232 chars
Spelman ALERT: The shelter-in-place has been lifted. Everyone is reminded to stay vigilant at all times. If you observe anything suspicious, please report it to public safety right away. Remember if you See Something, Say Something.
Verbatim text confirmed from Spelman College's official alert archive page titled 'SPELMAN ALERT: CAU Campus - ALL CLEAR (2-20-2025)', last updated February 21, 2025 at 6:57 AM EST
The all-clear came roughly 14 hours after the initial shelter alert, indicating the bomb-robot sweep, K-9 sweep, or police investigation extended well into the night
All-clear was issued on Friday, February 21, 2025, allowing classes to resume on the regular Friday schedule
The generic 'See Something, Say Something' closer is consistent with Spelman's post-incident messaging pattern observed in other archive pages
Context

Background

On the afternoon of Thursday, February 20, 2025, Atlanta Police were dispatched to Wright Hall at Clark Atlanta University around 4:40 PM EST in response to a phoned-in bomb threat. Because the Atlanta University Center campuses interlock — Spelman, Morehouse and Clark Atlanta share streets, sidewalks, dining halls and library facilities — Spelman College's emergency management team issued a shelter-in-place alert directing Spelman students on the CAU side of campus to lock down and instructing everyone else to avoid CAU buildings. Two bomb robots investigated a suspicious package at 223 James P. Brawley Drive SW. Nothing dangerous was found. The all-clear came overnight; the Spelman alert archive shows the entry last updated at 6:57 AM EST on Friday, February 21, 2025. The February 20 threat was the second bomb threat to hit the AUC during Black History Month since the February 2022 wave that hit 18 HBCUs in a single day — a pattern the FBI identified in 2022 as racially motivated. The February 2025 threat preceded by seven months the September 11, 2025 multi-HBCU lockdown wave that hit Spelman and other HBCUs again. Spelman's shelter alert was distinct from Clark Atlanta's own — it was issued by Spelman's emergency management to its students, even though the targeted building was on a sister campus.
Analysis

Key Findings

This is a textbook example of how the Atlanta University Center's interlocking geography forces neighboring HBCUs to issue parallel alerts when only one campus is targeted — Spelman students were sheltered because of a threat to Clark Atlanta
The February 2025 incident is the second Black History Month bomb threat against the AUC since the 2022 nationwide HBCU wave, suggesting the pattern of February-timed threats remains a recurring concern even years after the FBI identified racially motivated juveniles behind the 2022 calls
Spelman's archived alert text is verbatim — a useful comparison case for incidents where reconstructed wording is the best available because official archive pages have lapsed
Outcome
No device found. Two bomb robots investigated a suspicious package; nothing dangerous was identified. Shelter-in-place lifted by morning of February 21, 2025. No arrests publicly announced.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Spelman ALERT: CAU Campus Bomb Threat Reported (2-20-2025) (Spelman College Alert Archive)
    spelman.edu
  2. Official
    Spelman ALERT: CAU Campus — ALL CLEAR (2-20-2025) (Spelman College Alert Archive)
    spelman.edu
  3. News
    Shelter-in-place lifted at Clark Atlanta University after earlier bomb threat (11Alive)
    11alive.com
  4. News
    Bomb threat at Clark Atlanta University briefly places campus on lockdown (FOX 5 Atlanta)
    fox5atlanta.com
  5. News
    Police give all-clear after investigating possible bomb threat at Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta News First)
    atlantanewsfirst.com
  6. News
    Spelman receives third bomb threat, second during Black History Month (SaportaReport)
    saportareport.com
Tags
bomb-threathbcuatlanta-university-centershelter-in-placegeorgiablack-history-monthspelman-collegecross-campus-alertverbatim-confirmedHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion