Yesterday (Nov. 15), FBI Director Christopher Wray announced a suspect in a series of bomb threats against HBCUs has been identified. The threats against multiple historically Black colleges and universities began earlier this year and have been under investigation since.
According to Wray, a single juvenile suspect has been named, but due to their age, the person’s identity has been withheld. On Jan. 5, Howard University in Washington D.C. and seven other HBCUs were targeted. In August, CNN reported that Howard received two bomb threats in just one week — after already receiving multiple others during the previous school year. At the time, the university’s President Wayne A.I. Frederick sent a message to students and faculty addressing the situation. “I want to be clear about the university’s position on the narrative of these threats. This isn’t about resilience and grit. We require extra resources from all law enforcement agencies directed towards solving this ongoing threat and bringing those who perpetrate its negative effects to full justice under the law,” Frederick wrote.
By February, 17 HBCUs received threats, as reported by The Hill. While one suspect has been identified, authorities are investigating whether or not anyone else may have been involved. “We’ve recently — with respect to the first big tranche of the threats — the investigation has identified an underage, a juvenile subject. And because of the federal limitations on charging juveniles with federal crimes, we have worked with state prosecutors to ensure that that individual is charged under various other state offenses, which will ensure some level of restrictions and monitoring and disruption of his criminal behavior,” Wray said before lawmakers at the House Homeland Security Committee.
The threats to the HBCUs reportedly happened between Jan. 4 and Feb. 16. “The bomb threats have been made in phone calls, email, instant messages and anonymous online posts. FBI agents from multiple field offices are conducting hundreds of interviews and gathering a variety of electronic evidence for analysis,” the FBI shared in February.