Morgan State University joined the unsettling trend of receiving threats against its campus yesterday, with a phone threat that was swiftly assessed and determined non-credible by the university's police department. Despite the assessment, the institution took the incident seriously enough to inform federal authorities, emphasizing campus safety as a paramount concern. "Out of abundant caution, authorities, including the FBI, have been notified, and the matter remains under active investigation," a post from the university stated, as reported by WMAR2 News.
This occurrence at Morgan State signified its inclusion in a group of HBCUs that have been the subject of threats, adding to the series of events that began Thursday and has since involved multiple institutions across the country. According to a post from Morgan State, "The safety and well-being of our campus community remain our highest priority. Please continue to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings." It is worth noting that seven HBCUs had to close or initiate lockdowns a day after Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, was fatally shot during a Utah college event. These incidents span numerous states, covering universities like Alabama State, Bethune-Cookman, Southern University, and others, which were mentioned in an article by WBALTV.
The reaction from Maryland leadership mirrors the concern expressed by those within the threatened educational institutions. State Senate President Bill Ferguson and Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones have also been on the receiving end of threats, which, while also deemed not credible, raise the specter of a growing issue of security across different spheres of public life.
