Several colleges in Alabama have received bomb threats, prompting police investigations.
Auburn University, Jefferson State Community College, and Shelton State Community College all received threats, according to WVTM.
“No threats to any institutions have been deemed credible at this time”, Shelton State later wrote on Facebook.
An “AU Alert” at 12.06pm said that police were “investigating” a report of a bomb threat at the Nursing Building. The school urged people to “stay clear” of the area until they had been given an all-clear.
It also told people to “report suspicious items” and “activity to police”.
The all-clear came over an hour later, at 1.33pm, when another alert said: “ALL CLEAR. The previous emergency has been resolved. Police have cleared the Nursing Bldg. It is safe to resume normal activity.”
Jefferson State reported a bomb threat at 11.58am.
“A bomb threat was reported at the Jefferson Campus. ALL students and employees are asked to evacuate the buildings (ALL buildings) on the Jefferson Campus (Carson Road) immediately!!!” a message said.
Shelton State said at 11.11am that its campuses had been closed down: “SSCC Alert: Due to unforeseen circumstances, both campuses of Shelton State Community College are closed until further notice. Please monitor social media for updates.”
The school later issued a statement on Facebook, saying that the threats were deemed “false”.
“Shelton State Community College was one of several Alabama Community College System (ACCS) institutions targeted for the threat of potential danger”, the school posted. “Both campus communities were notified immediately according to safety procedures and guidelines, and all faculty, staff, and students were evacuated safely. Following thorough search efforts, the threats were deemed false and both campuses were cleared.”
“A full investigation will now commence, and every effort will be made to identify those responsible for today’s threat”, the school said in its statement. “Circumstances on neither campus pose any danger to students or employees, however, the College will remain closed for today.”
There were further reports of bomb threats at other schools in South Alabama, such as the campus of Wallace State in Dothan, Enterprise State in Enterprise, and two of the campuses for Lurleen B Wallace Community College in Opp and Andalusia, WVTM reported. All these threats have also been resolved.
The Alabama Community College System said in a statement that “authorities at Alabama’s community colleges are working closely with law enforcement on a state level and within each community to ensure the safety of residents across our facilities after alleged bomb threats were made at multiple institutions”.
“While no threats have been deemed credible at this time, some buildings have - per protocol - been evacuated and access restricted to some campuses. Residents, including students, faculty and staff, are encouraged to not visit any of the colleges’ facilities until further notice by the colleges”, the ACCS added.
