Campus Alert Archive
USM

Seven Mississippi Campuses Threatened in a Single Day: USM Joins the Summer 2022 Bomb-Threat Wave

MSbomb 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.

On July 28, 2022, the University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg campus received a bomb threat as part of a statewide wave that struck at least seven Mississippi colleges and universities in a single day. The threat did not reference a specific campus location. USM police investigated and issued an all-clear by 4 p.m. CDT, alongside Mississippi State University, William Carey University, Meridian Community College, and three Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College campuses -- all of which received similar threats the same afternoon. A suspect was subsequently identified by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of Southern Mississippi
Public R2 · MS
~14,000 studentsUSM Emergency 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 ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction227 chars
USM Emergency Alert: USM Hattiesburg has received a bomb threat. Law enforcement is investigating. Avoid gathering in large groups. Cooperate with all campus safety personnel. Updates will be provided as the situation develops.

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

The threat did not reference a specific building or location on USM's Hattiesburg campus, making targeted evacuation decisions difficult
USM was one of at least seven Mississippi college campuses threatened on the same afternoon of July 28, 2022, in what officials described as a coordinated pattern
The wave the previous day (July 27) had already struck Alabama and Tennessee campuses, suggesting a serial caller moving state-by-state
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction219 chars
USM Emergency Alert: All clear. Law enforcement has completed the investigation and determined the threat is not credible. Campus operations may resume normally. Continue to report any suspicious activity to USM Police.

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

Police cleared all seven affected Mississippi campuses to resume regular operations by approximately 4 p.m. CDT on July 28, 2022
Mississippi Department of Public Safety Deputy Commissioner Keith Davis confirmed within a week that a suspect had been identified in connection with the threats
The suspect used a spoofed phone number -- a technique also seen in the summer 2022 overseas-origin wave targeting Florida and Virginia colleges
Context

Background

On July 28, 2022, the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg was caught up in a statewide wave of bomb threats that struck at least seven Mississippi campuses in a single afternoon. The other targets included Mississippi State University in Starkville, William Carey University's Traditions campus, Meridian Community College, and three campuses of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Law enforcement cleared all campuses by approximately 4 p.m. CDT. Mississippi Department of Public Safety Deputy Commissioner Keith Davis confirmed within a week that a suspect had been identified. The Mississippi wave was preceded by similar coordinated threats in Alabama and Tennessee on July 27, and followed similar patterns across Florida, Virginia, Louisiana, and Kansas -- all traced to callers using spoofed numbers. Alcorn State University's School of Nursing in Natchez was also among the targeted institutions when a caller claiming to stand outside the building with a bomb in a backpack rang Adams County Sheriff's Office directly. The summer 2022 community-college wave encompassed at least 12 Mississippi institutions over the course of the summer and reflected a shift from the racially targeted HBCU wave of January-February 2022 to a geographically dispersed pattern affecting public and private institutions across racial demographics.
Outcome
No explosive device found. USM declared all-clear by 4 p.m. CDT July 28. Mississippi Department of Public Safety confirmed a suspect was identified within a week but did not name the individual. No injuries.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    USM included in bomb threats to Mississippi colleges; police say 'all clear' (WLBT)
    wlbt.com
  2. News
    Bomb threats reported at Mississippi college and community college campuses (WTOK)
    wtok.com
  3. News
    State official says suspect identified in bomb threats last week (Natchez Democrat)
    natchezdemocrat.com
  4. Source
    Suspect Identified in At Least 12 Bomb Threats Made Against Mississippi Colleges (Campus Safety Magazine)
    campussafetymagazine.com
  5. News
    Bomb threats cleared at Mississippi schools (SuperTalk Mississippi)
    supertalk.fm
Tags
bomb-threatspoofed-callernational-wavepublic-r2mississippihattiesburgsummer-2022multi-campus-wavecoordinated-threatUnfounded
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion