{
  "id": "2024-07-20-arkansas-state-university-bomb-threat",
  "slug": "arkansas-state-university-bomb-threat-2024-07-20",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Arkansas State University",
    "shortName": "A-State",
    "state": "AR",
    "type": "public-r2",
    "alertSystemName": "A-State Alert"
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2024-07-20",
    "type": "bomb-threat",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "headline": "Simultaneous bomb threats at the library and student union; both cleared with no device",
    "headlinePublic": "Simultaneous bomb threats at the library and student union; both cleared with no device",
    "summary": "On July 20, 2024, Arkansas State University in Jonesboro sent two text alerts within two minutes: [one at 7:15 AM CDT warning of a bomb threat at Dean B. Ellis Library, and a second at 7:17 AM CDT for the Carl R. Reng Student Union](https://www.kait8.com/2024/07/20/law-enforcement-investigates-bomb-threat-arkansas-state-university/). Police and K-9 units cleared both buildings and issued an [all-clear at approximately 10:00 AM CDT](https://www.kait8.com/2024/07/20/law-enforcement-investigates-bomb-threat-arkansas-state-university/); no credible threat was found. The university noted Jonesboro's 911 center had received an 'unusually high number' of swatting reports during the preceding week.",
    "outcome": "Law enforcement and K-9 units searched both the Dean B. Ellis Library and the Carl R. Reng Student Union and found no credible threat or explosive devices. An all-clear was issued around 9:59 to 10:00 AM CDT. The incident was part of a regional surge in swatting reports in Jonesboro that week.",
    "resolution": "false-alarm"
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2024-07-20T07:15:00-05:00",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "URGENT A bomb threat for Dean B. Ellis Library in Arkansas State University is under investigation. Evacuate immediately and avoid this area.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.kait8.com/2024/07/20/law-enforcement-investigates-bomb-threat-arkansas-state-university/",
      "sourceDescription": "KAIT-8 and KATV quoted this verbatim as the A-State Alert text sent at 7:15 AM CDT on July 20, 2024 regarding the Dean B. Ellis Library bomb threat",
      "annotations": [
        "Verbatim text confirmed by multiple local news outlets (KAIT-8, KATV, THV11) that directly quoted this A-State Alert; all sources reproduce the 'URGENT' prefix and the specific library name",
        "Arkansas State is in the Central Time zone (CDT, UTC-5 during summer); Jonesboro is in northeast Arkansas.",
        "Notable that the alert begins with 'URGENT' rather than 'A-State Alert:'"
      ],
      "characterCount": 141
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2024-07-20T07:17:00-05:00",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "URGENT A bomb threat for Student Union in Arkansas State University is under investigation. Evacuate immediately and avoid this area.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.kait8.com/2024/07/20/law-enforcement-investigates-bomb-threat-arkansas-state-university/",
      "sourceDescription": "KAIT-8 and KATV quoted this verbatim as the A-State Alert text sent at 7:17 AM CDT on July 20, 2024 regarding the Student Union bomb threat",
      "annotations": [
        "Verbatim text confirmed by multiple local news outlets (KAIT-8, KATV) that directly quoted this second A-State Alert; sent two minutes after the library alert",
        "The near-simultaneous dual-building threats were consistent with the regional swatting surge ASU acknowledged in its communication.",
        "Uses 'Student Union' rather than the full 'Carl R. Reng Student Union' name, consistent with SMS brevity"
      ],
      "characterCount": 133
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestamp": "2024-07-20T09:59:00-05:00",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and KAIT-8 reporting that the all-clear text was sent at 9:59 AM CDT; Jonesboro Right Now reported the all-clear was around 10:00 AM CDT",
      "annotations": []
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Campus gives the 'all clear' following bomb threat at Arkansas State University - KAIT-8",
      "url": "https://www.kait8.com/2024/07/20/law-enforcement-investigates-bomb-threat-arkansas-state-university/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "ASU issues all-clear after bomb threats investigated at library, student union - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette",
      "url": "https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2024/jul/20/asu-issues-all-clear-after-bomb-threats/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Arkansas State University receives overnight bomb threat - THV11",
      "url": "https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/arkansas-state-cleared-after-overnight-bomb-threat/91-79b5ab51-9982-49af-8f77-75fe6f96b6f4",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Update - Bomb Threat at ASU - Jonesboro Right Now",
      "url": "https://jonesbororightnow.com/news/268862-bomb-threat-at-asu/",
      "type": "local-media"
    }
  ],
  "context": "Two near-simultaneous bomb threat alerts disrupted Arkansas State University's summer operations on July 20, 2024, with A-State sending texts at 7:15 AM CDT and 7:17 AM CDT targeting the Dean B. Ellis Library and Carl R. Reng Student Union, respectively. According to [KAIT-8](https://www.kait8.com/2024/07/20/law-enforcement-investigates-bomb-threat-arkansas-state-university/), law enforcement and K-9 units responded to both buildings and found no credible threat. The [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette](https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2024/jul/20/asu-issues-all-clear-after-bomb-threats/) reported the all-clear was issued at 9:59 AM CDT after a roughly two-hour sweep. Arkansas State's communications noted the Jonesboro E-911 center had received an 'unusually high number' of swatting reports over the preceding week, placing this incident in the context of a regional surge in hoax threats. [THV11](https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/arkansas-state-cleared-after-overnight-bomb-threat/91-79b5ab51-9982-49af-8f77-75fe6f96b6f4) described the incident as an 'overnight bomb threat' due to the early morning timing on a Saturday. The dual-building, two-minute-apart threat pattern closely resembles the coordinated July 2022 North Dakota campus bomb threats, suggesting a similar tactic of rapid-fire calls to generate maximum disruption.",
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "bomb-threat",
    "false-alarm",
    "arkansas",
    "swatting",
    "dual-building",
    "summer",
    "evacuation",
    "k9-sweep",
    "2024"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-31",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-05-31",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}