USM joins the list of Mississippi schools receiving bomb threats Thursday

HARRISON COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) - Throughout Thursday morning and afternoon, staff and students were given the “all clear” to return to class after bomb threats were called in to seven university, college and community college campuses in South Mississippi.

The latest school to receive a threat Thursday afternoon was the University of Southern Mississippi. An investigation determined the threat was not credible, and by 4 p.m. police cleared all campuses to continue regular operations.

“Although the threat was false, an investigation is ongoing to identify and prosecute the source of the call,” reads a statement from the USM Office of University Communications.

Seven colleges and universities in Mississippi reported receiving bomb threats Thursday. The impacted schools include:

• Mississippi State University - Starkville Campus
  
• William Carey University (WCU) - Tradition Campus
  
• Meridian Community College
  
• Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College - Bryant Center at Tradition, Jackson County Campus, and Perkinston Campus
  
• University of Southern Mississippi
  

William Carey President Dr. Ben Burnett said the school’s Tradition Campus wasn’t specifically mentioned in the threat. Rather, it just said a local community college in that area. Both MGCCC and WCU have campuses at Tradition, so the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and the Biloxi Bomb Squad searched both schools just to be safe.

In Jackson County, the Singing River Health explosive detection K-9 unit responded.

Thursday’s threats across Mississippi come after at least 13 bomb threats were reported in Alabama just one day before. Those threats were aimed at university and college campuses, as well, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. All threats were eventually cleared and students returned safely to class.

Wednesday’s threats targeted the University of South Alabama, University of Alabama Huntsville, Enterprise State, Lurleen B. Wallace, Wallace Community College, Auburn University, Trenholm State, Shelton State, Jefferson State Campus, Northwest-Shoals Community College, Reid State Technical College, and Calhoun Community College.

No suspects have been identified or arrests made concerning any of the threats.

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