Clark Atlanta and other HBCUs issue lockdown orders, cancel classes after receiving threats

FILE - The campus of Clark Atlanta University is seen April 21, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jeff Martin, File)

A series of reported threats toward historically Black colleges and universities, including Clark Atlanta University in Georgia, led to lockdown orders, canceled classes and heightened security on Thursday.

Authorities did not elaborate on the type of threats that were made and no injuries have been reported. The FBI told The Associated Press that they are taking the “hoax threat calls“ seriously and that there is “no information to indicate a credible threat.”

Although lockdowns have since been lifted, schools that received the threats continue to act with an abundance of caution. In an era of mass shootings — and following a wave of violence Wednesday and a spate of hoax calls about active shooters at the start of the school year — some universities opted to call off classes for the rest of the week and send students home.