{
  "id": "2025-09-29-colby-college-bomb-threat",
  "slug": "colby-college-bomb-threat-2025-09-29",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Colby College",
    "shortName": "Colby",
    "state": "ME",
    "type": "private-liberal-arts",
    "enrollment": 2000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-09-29",
    "type": "bomb-threat",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-hoax",
    "headline": "Emailed library bomb threat evacuates two buildings; no devices found",
    "headlinePublic": "Emailed library bomb threat evacuates two buildings; no devices found",
    "summary": "On September 29, 2025, [Colby College received an email claiming a bomb was placed in a library](https://www.centralmaine.com/2025/09/29/bomb-threat-at-colby-college-cancels-classes-closes-buildings/). Miller Library and Bixler Art and Music Center were evacuated and classes cancelled. Waterville Police completed a sweep and [found no suspicious devices](https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/augusta-waterville/colby-college-bomb-threat-two-buildings-evacuated-email-investigation/97-213f7823-8550-4eca-9188-95664c265a0e). Both buildings were cleared at 12:45 PM EDT. [Bowdoin College received a similar threat](https://www.pressherald.com/2025/09/29/bowdoin-college-buildings-evacuated-due-to-threat/) the same day.",
    "outcome": "Waterville Police found no suspicious devices. Both buildings were cleared by 12:45 PM EDT. Bowdoin College received an extremely similar threat the same afternoon."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Morning of September 29, 2025",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "It is important to understand that bomb threats directed at colleges and universities have been a regular occurrence in recent weeks and have not been credible threats. That said, we take the situation very seriously and appreciate your cooperation as authorities comb the premises.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.centralmaine.com/2025/09/29/bomb-threat-at-colby-college-cancels-classes-closes-buildings/",
      "sourceDescription": "Central Maine, quoting associate VP of campus safety's 8:42 AM email",
      "annotations": [
        "The email was sent at 8:42 AM EDT on September 29, 2025, by Colby's associate VP of campus safety",
        "The alert notably acknowledged the nationwide pattern of hoax bomb threats while still taking the situation seriously",
        "Miller Library and Bixler Art and Music Center were evacuated"
      ],
      "characterCount": 282
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestamp": "2025-09-29T12:45:00-04:00",
      "channel": "multi-channel",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from Central Maine and NEWS CENTER Maine reporting; buildings cleared at 12:45 PM EDT",
      "annotations": []
    }
  ],
  "context": "On September 29, 2025, [Colby College received an emailed bomb threat](https://www.centralmaine.com/2025/09/29/bomb-threat-at-colby-college-cancels-classes-closes-buildings/) claiming a bomb was placed in a campus library. Miller Library and Bixler Art and Music Center were evacuated, and classes in those buildings were cancelled. Colby's associate VP of campus safety sent an [8:42 AM EDT email](https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/augusta-waterville/colby-college-bomb-threat-two-buildings-evacuated-email-investigation/97-213f7823-8550-4eca-9188-95664c265a0e) acknowledging the nationwide pattern while taking the threat seriously. Waterville Police completed a sweep and found no suspicious devices, with [buildings cleared at 12:45 PM EDT](https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/09/29/central-maine/central-maine-police-courts/colby-college-evacuated-bomb-threat/). Later the same day, [Bowdoin College received an extremely similar threat](https://www.pressherald.com/2025/09/29/bowdoin-college-buildings-evacuated-due-to-threat/) targeting its library, beginning evacuations shortly after 1:00 PM EDT and reopening libraries around 1:40 PM EDT once the threat was deemed a hoax, suggesting a coordinated campaign against Maine's elite liberal arts colleges. [WGME](https://wgme.com/news/local/colby-college-evacuated-after-bomb-threat-maine-waterville-police-crime) provided breaking coverage.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "The alert explicitly acknowledged the nationwide pattern of hoax bomb threats while stating the college still took the situation seriously",
    "Colby and Bowdoin received extremely similar library-targeted threats on the same day, suggesting coordinated targeting of Maine liberal arts colleges",
    "Library-targeted bomb threats were a recurring pattern in the fall 2025 wave, with many universities receiving threats specifically directed at their libraries"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Bomb threat at Colby College cancels classes, closes buildings (Central Maine)",
      "url": "https://www.centralmaine.com/2025/09/29/bomb-threat-at-colby-college-cancels-classes-closes-buildings/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Colby College bomb threat: two buildings evacuated (NEWS CENTER Maine)",
      "url": "https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/augusta-waterville/colby-college-bomb-threat-two-buildings-evacuated-email-investigation/97-213f7823-8550-4eca-9188-95664c265a0e",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Colby College evacuated after bomb threat (Bangor Daily News)",
      "url": "https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/09/29/central-maine/central-maine-police-courts/colby-college-evacuated-bomb-threat/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Bowdoin College buildings evacuated due to threat (Portland Press Herald)",
      "url": "https://www.pressherald.com/2025/09/29/bowdoin-college-buildings-evacuated-due-to-threat/",
      "type": "local-media"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "bomb-threat",
    "library",
    "liberal-arts-college",
    "maine",
    "coordinated-attack",
    "emailed-threat",
    "nationwide-wave"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-05-28",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}