Campus Alert Archive
Buffalo State

Six Text Alerts, an FBI Response, and a Two-Day Closure: Buffalo State's 10:45 AM Bomb Threat

NYbomb threatemergency notificationhigh 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 March 24, 2022, Buffalo State received a bomb threat at 10:45 AM EDT targeting several academic buildings, prompting cancellation of all Thursday classes and a six-message alert cascade across SMS and email. About 70 students sheltered in the Sports Arena and the FBI joined University Police in the investigation. The college also canceled Friday classes ahead of spring break, even after University Police announced no evidence of a credible threat had been found.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
SUNY Buffalo State University
Public Masters · NY
~7,000 studentsRaveBuffalo State Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

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 reconstruction291 chars
Buffalo State Alert: A bomb threat has been made against several academic buildings on campus. All classes are canceled for the day. Residential students should return to their residence hall rooms. Commuter students should leave campus for the day. All nonessential employees are dismissed.

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

Reconstructed from multiple Buffalo media outlets that quoted Buffalo State's campus-wide instruction: 'Residential students should return to their residence hall rooms, commuter students should leave campus for the day, and all nonessential employees are dismissed'
Pushed shortly after the 10:45 AM EDT threat receipt and was the first of six text alerts the college sent that day
Notably *does not* instruct residential students to shelter in place — instead directs them back to their residence halls, which were not named in the threat
UPDATESMS
Approximate reconstruction287 chars
Buffalo State Alert: Residential students who need a place to wait may report to the Sports Arena, where food and water are being provided. University Police, the FBI, and law enforcement partners continue to investigate. Remain off campus or in your residence hall until further notice.

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

Reconstructed from Buffalo News and WGRZ coverage of the daytime shelter operation at the Sports Arena
By midday roughly 70 students had relocated to the Sports Arena rather than wait the threat out in their dorms
The FBI involvement was unusually explicit — Buffalo State publicly named the bureau as a responding agency, which is rare in initial campus alerts
UPDATEEmail+6h 36m
Verified verbatimSUNY Buffalo State University Police Advisory Archive — timestamped 17:31:18 EDT938 chars
University Police would like to thank our entire campus community for their cooperation. While at this time we have found no evidence that suggests the threat is credible, UPD and its law enforcement partners continue to actively investigate the matter. The safety and security of our students, faculty, and staff remains paramount. Out of an abundance of caution and with spring break on the horizon, Buffalo State is canceling all classes on Friday, March 25. As a reminder, all classes remain canceled for Thursday evening, March 24. Only critical-essential employees, after consultation with their supervisors, should report to campus tomorrow, Friday, March 25. All other employees should consult with their supervisors about possible remote work arrangements. Effective immediately, residential students no longer need to remain in their rooms, although it should be noted that several services on campus will remain closed tonight.
Pushed at 17:31:18 EDT on March 24, 2022 per the timestamped University Police advisory archive page
Functions as a partial all-clear (lifting the residence-hall confinement) but does not declare the threat resolved — explicitly maintains 'UPD and its law enforcement partners continue to actively investigate the matter'
The unusual decision to cancel an additional full day of classes (Friday, March 25) ahead of spring break suggests Buffalo State did not yet have full confidence in dismissing the threat as non-credible
Context

Background

At 10:45 AM EDT on Thursday, March 24, 2022, SUNY Buffalo State received a bomb threat targeting several academic buildings. University Police, joined within hours by the FBI and multiple regional partners, treated the threat as serious enough to cancel all Thursday classes and direct residential students back to their dorms and commuters off campus. Approximately 70 students chose to wait the day out at the Sports Arena, where the college supplied food to both the dorms and the arena. By the late afternoon, University Police publicly announced that no evidence of a credible threat had been found, but in the same 5:31 PM EDT advisory the college canceled Friday classes as well, citing the imminence of spring break. Across the day Buffalo State sent six text messages and matching emails — a cascade documented by student-newspaper reporting that criticized the college's notification reliability, with multiple students reporting the emails arrived in their spam folders. The March 24, 2022 threat was Buffalo State's second high-profile mass-notification event in less than seven weeks, following the February 9, 2022 McKinley HS shelter-in-place, and it accelerated internal review of the college's emergency communications stack.
Analysis

Key Findings

Buffalo State sent six text alerts plus matching emails over the course of a single day — among the highest single-day alert volumes documented in the SUNY system
The official 17:31:18 EDT University Police advisory simultaneously announced 'no evidence that suggests the threat is credible' AND canceled an additional full day of classes, an unusual pairing
Second major mass-notification event at Buffalo State in seven weeks, following the February 9, 2022 McKinley HS shelter-in-place — both events surfaced complaints that campus email alerts were routed to spam
Outcome
University Police, joined by the FBI and multiple regional law enforcement partners, found no evidence that the threat was credible. Buffalo State canceled all Thursday evening and all of Friday classes 'out of an abundance of caution and with spring break on the horizon.' No injuries or explosive devices were reported. The investigation remained open after the campus reopened post-spring break.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    March 24, 2022 17:31:18 University Police Advisory (SUNY Buffalo State University Police)
    police.buffalostate.edu
  2. News
    No evidence of credible threat after Buffalo State bomb threat; classes canceled Friday (WGRZ)
    wgrz.com
  3. News
    Buffalo State: Police say no evidence that bomb threat was credible (Buffalo News)
    buffalonews.com
  4. News
    Buffalo State shuts down following bomb threat, police continue investigation (WBFO)
    wbfo.org
  5. News
    Buffalo State College cancels additional classes due to bomb threat investigation (WKBW)
    wkbw.com
  6. News
    Classes canceled at Buffalo State College after threat (Spectrum News)
    spectrumlocalnews.com
  7. Report
    March 24, 2022 - Buffalo, New York - Bomb Threat (DHS Tripwire)
    tripwire.dhs.gov
Tags
bomb-threatunfoundedfbibuffalo-statesunynew-yorkpublic-mastersspring-breaktwo-day-closurerave-alertUnfounded
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion