Harris-Stowe State University shut down Tuesday after the university received a bomb threat. The threat comes on the first day of Black History Month and a day after St. Louis City Hall and several historically Black colleges and universities nationwide received similar threats.
University officials received notice of a bomb threat and contacted St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI to investigate and check all campus buildings.
At least three other HBCUs received threats on Tuesday, including a second in two days at Howard University in the nation’s capital. On Monday, at least a half-dozen HBCUs ordered lockdowns or canceled classes after bomb threats.
In St. Louis, Harris-Stowe officials suspended classes and activities on the campus, the Williams L. Clay Early Childhood Education Center and the Harris-Stowe Impact Education Center, until the investigation is complete. Officials ordered employees and commuter students not to report to campus.
“We are working with the proper authorities to thoroughly investigate this potential threat,” university officials said in a statement. “The safety of our campus community is paramount, and we are taking every step, in conjunction with campus safety, law enforcement and the FBI to ensure the well-being of our community.”
LaTonia Collins Smith, interim president of Harris-Stowe, said during a press conference on campus that she believes the threat was associated with those that other HBCUs received Monday and Tuesday.
"We will recover from this, and we will continue to be a beacon of hope,” Collins Smith said.
The bomb threat at Harris-Stowe comes a day after St. Louis officials ordered people to evacuate City Hall after police received a call to investigate a bomb threat made against the building. Police later confirmed that City Hall was safe to reenter.
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