String of bomb threats force evacuations at HBCUs & DNC HQ after Charlie Kirk shooting

The Democratic National Committee and several historically Black colleges and universities have been forced to evacuate or have locked down after receiving threats the day after far-right pundit Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at an event on a Utah campus.

Capitol Police responded to a "potential security concern" at the DNC headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, which was deemed to be a non-credible bomb threat.

"This afternoon, there was a bomb threat to DNC HQ that was determined to not be credible by the U.S. Capitol Police," a DNC spokesperson told Axios. "Out of an abundance of caution, Capitol Police is conducting an interior sweep of the building. As DNC Chair Ken Martin has said, political violence in every form has no place in our country. We are grateful to the U.S. Capitol Police and DNC building security for responding quickly and professionally."

Meanwhile, several HBCUs went under lockdown Thursday, including Alabama State University, Virginia State University, Hampton University, Southern University, Bethune-Cookman Univeristy, and Clark Atlanta University, according to local news outlets.

Alabama State announced it would be suspending all campus activities on Thursday after a “terroristic threat” was directed at the campus. Police have since issued an all clear, though campus will remain closed. Southern University has also been cleared, but activities will main canceled throughout the weekend.

Shelter-in-place warnings have been lofted at Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University, the Atlanta Police Department told Atlanta News First. Spelman officials told the outlet that while no threats have been made toward the college, due to their proximity to other universities facing threats they have “increased security presence across campus.”

Virginia State "remains on lockdown as we continue to prioritize the safety of our students, faculty, and staff," it said in a statement, adding that "VSU Police, in coordination with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, is actively investigating the credibility of the threat received earlier today."

Hampton University also canceled classes for Thursday and Friday, saying in a statement, "Hampton University has received notice of a potential threat and has ceased all non-essential activity, effective immediately."

The Daytona Beach Police Department said in a statement that it is "actively investigating a reported threat directed at Bethune-Cookman University" and that "the campus has been placed on lockdown while officers work to ensure the safety of the students and staff."

While law enforcement has not confirmed what motivated the threats, they come one day after Kirk, the anti-LGBTQ+ commentator who founded Turning Point USA, died after being shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University. Despite no suspects or motivations being known, conservatives online have blamed "the left" for Kirk's murder and vowed revenge.

Democratic Rep. Troy Carter of Louisiana, where Southern University is located, strongly condemned the threats against Black institutions in a statement posted to social media, saying that “HBCUs are pillars of excellence, resilience, and progress. They have nurtured leaders, broken down barriers, and carried forward the torch of justice and equality in America. Any threat against them is a threat against us all."

"I am calling on the full weight of the federal government — including the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI — to utilize every available resource to identify, apprehend, and prosecute those responsible," Carter said. "These attacks cannot be tolerated, minimized, or ignored. They must be met with swift and decisive action."