{
  "id": "2021-01-23-averett-university-emailed-threat-lockdown",
  "slug": "averett-university-emailed-threat-lockdown-2021-01-23",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Averett University",
    "shortName": "Averett",
    "state": "VA",
    "type": "private-masters",
    "enrollment": 850
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2021-01-23",
    "type": "threat-of-violence",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "headline": "Emailed threat locks down both campuses for three hours; determined to be a hoax",
    "headlinePublic": "Emailed threat locks down both campuses for three hours; determined to be a hoax",
    "summary": "On Saturday, January 23, 2021, Averett University in Danville, Virginia placed its Main and North campuses on lockdown after receiving a [threatening email around 11:15 a.m. EST](https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2021/01/23/averett-university-in-lockdown-after-receiving-threatening-email-police-say/) that made a general threat toward the university. Danville Police secured both campuses while investigators traced the message, and the [lockdown was lifted at about 2:30 p.m. EST](https://www.wfxrtv.com/news/local-news/southside-virginia-news/police-alerted-to-threatening-email-to-averett-university/). The same emailed-hoax wave hit Hampden-Sydney College and Central Virginia Community College the same day.",
    "outcome": "Police found no indication the threat was legitimate. The lockdown was lifted around 2:30 p.m. EST and the email was part of a hoax campaign that targeted several Virginia schools the same Saturday.",
    "resolution": "confirmed-hoax"
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2021-01-23T11:25:00-05:00",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from WSLS and WDBJ7 descriptions of the lockdown notification",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestamp": "2021-01-23T14:30:00-05:00",
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "UPDATE: The lockdown has been lifted. Please read this message for more information, and watch the LiveSafe app for any updates.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.wfxrtv.com/news/local-news/southside-virginia-news/police-alerted-to-threatening-email-to-averett-university/",
      "sourceDescription": "WFXR and WSLS both report this as the verbatim @AverettU1859 Twitter post lifting the lockdown on January 23, 2021, around 2:30 p.m. EST",
      "annotations": [
        "Verbatim text confirmed: WFXR and WSLS both quote this as the @AverettU1859 Twitter update that lifted the lockdown around 2:30 p.m. EST on January 23, 2021.",
        "The tweet directed recipients to 'read this message for more information' and check the LiveSafe app, indicating a fuller all-clear was distributed via a separate notification or email.",
        "This is the genuine all-clear, lifting the lockdown approximately three hours after the threat email was received at roughly 11:15 a.m. EST."
      ],
      "characterCount": 128
    }
  ],
  "context": "Averett University is a small private Baptist-heritage institution of roughly 850 students in Danville, Virginia, with a Main Campus and a separate North Campus. On Saturday, January 23, 2021, the university received a [threatening email at about 11:15 a.m. EST](https://www.wdbj7.com/2021/01/23/threat-on-averett-university-investigated-saturday-morning-school-remains-on-lockdown/) that made a general threat, and it placed both campuses on lockdown. [Danville Police](https://www.danvilleva.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=4585&ARC=11472) responded to both sites while investigators worked to trace the message, and the [lockdown was lifted around 2:30 p.m. EST](https://www.wfxrtv.com/news/local-news/southside-virginia-news/police-alerted-to-threatening-email-to-averett-university/) with no indication the threat was legitimate. The episode was part of the same emailed-hoax wave that locked down [Hampden-Sydney College](https://wset.com/news/local/email-threat-prompts-lockdown-at-danvilles-averett-university) and Central Virginia Community College that Saturday, a pattern that previewed the much larger swatting and emailed-threat surges campuses would face later in the decade.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "A general-threat email locked down both of Averett's campuses for roughly three hours on a Saturday with few people present",
    "The same hoax template reached Hampden-Sydney College and Central Virginia Community College the same day, January 23, 2021",
    "Danville Police found no credible threat and lifted the lockdown around 2:30 p.m. EST"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Averett University in lockdown after receiving threatening email, police say - WSLS",
      "url": "https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2021/01/23/averett-university-in-lockdown-after-receiving-threatening-email-police-say/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Email threat investigated after causing Averett University to initiate lockdown - WDBJ7",
      "url": "https://www.wdbj7.com/2021/01/23/threat-on-averett-university-investigated-saturday-morning-school-remains-on-lockdown/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "UPDATE: Averett University lifts lockdown after earlier email threat - WFXR",
      "url": "https://www.wfxrtv.com/news/local-news/southside-virginia-news/police-alerted-to-threatening-email-to-averett-university/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "01-23-2021 Response to threat at Averett University - City of Danville",
      "url": "https://www.danvilleva.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=4585&ARC=11472",
      "type": "official-archive"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "emailed-threat",
    "lockdown",
    "virginia",
    "private-university",
    "danville",
    "emergency-notification",
    "hoax"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-28",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-16",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}