Over the last two weeks, at least 15 colleges or universities received a series of anonymous, e-mail bomb threats. Many of the bomb threats were similar in nature, often warning universities and faculty that “bombs will explode shortly” on campus grounds while other e-mails specifically mentioned names of buildings that were allegedly targeted. In response to the threats, each college or university executed precautionary evacuations. Local law enforcement determined that each case was a hoax as no dangerous material or explosive devices were found.
The sending addresses were concealed as the e-mails were sent through a remailer service, a program that acts as a digital filter that deletes the original sender’s address. According to open source reports, local law enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating an e-mail written in English and Italian that was sent to Kenyon College. This e-mail apparently was sent from an Italian web site with the sender address, George [email protected] (Source).
Prior to the recent sequence of bomb threats sent to college campuses, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) encouraged colleges and universities to raise their security awareness as students across the country began returning to campuses.
Although the threats have caused alarm at the various institutions, DHS maintains that none of the threats are credible and there is no indication of an imminent threat to colleges or university campuses nationwide.
Businesses Also Targeted
Yet, the recent string of bomb threats targeting colleges has come at a time when the FBI is investigating an unusual serial bomb threat case targeting retail stores and banks across the country. Currently, law enforcement have reported at least 24 incidents in 17 states where callers have threatened to detonate bombs if a store or bank did not immediately wire money to various bank accounts.
However, much like the college bomb threat investigation, authorities claim each of these threats targeting stores and banks are not credible. As authorities continue to investigate each case, the effects of media coverage and the potential for a copycat effect highlight how a widening in scope of bomb threats can occur.
Imitating What’s on the News
Once the media reports began covering the bomb threats targeting retail stores, the number of similar extortion threats to stores around the country almost doubled. This is a clear indicator of a copycat effect. In fact, authorities in Kansas arrested an individual for making copycat calls to at least three stores. The man arrested was subsequently charged with making an aggravated criminal threat (Source). Authorities are currently investigating connections between a Portuguese bank account and the threats. It is likely that similar threatening copycat calls will continue in the near-term.
Regarding the investigation into the college bomb threat, the list of targeted colleges suggests an indiscriminate pattern, potentially due to multiple perpetrators acting out as copycats. For example, some of the e-mails targeted prestigious universities in the eastern United States including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University and Cornell University. Yet with the e-mails also targeting Western Illinois University, the University of Iowa, the University of Akron, Oregon State University and the University of Alaska at Anchorage, the targeting pattern does not seem to differentiate between geographical location and academic stature, possibly implying multiple actors with different motives.
Media coverage on an infamous act of violence in schools or in this case, a popular trend of delivering anonymous bomb threats, can also directly influence the amount of bomb threats schools receive. After the violent shootings at Virginia Tech in April 2007 and Columbine High School in April 1999 received widespread media coverage, statistical studies reported a significant increase in bomb threats nationwide.
Universities to Test New Alert Systems
In the wake of the shootings at Virginia Tech, a number of universities decided to implement new methods of alerting students of potential emergencies. For example, the College of William and Mary, also on the list of recently targeted schools, signed a contract with the NTI Group to implement a new alert system. In the event of an emergency on campus, the alert system would send out immediate notices by e-mail, text message and voice message of any imminent threat to students on campus (Source).
A report on the Virginia Tech incident recently ruled that Virginia Tech authorities did not effectively handle response to the incident. The report claimed that the ineffective alerts and decision to not cancel classes greatly undermined the safety of those injured or killed in the incident. As a result, universities implementing new and effective alert systems can reduce the chance of an isolated incident escalating to an uncontrollable level.
Hoaxes Likely to Continue
DHS continues to advise universities and businesses to take every threat with serious caution, yet maintains that the current series of hoaxes do not indicate an imminent threat to the homeland.
While authorities continue to investigate the serial bomb threat cases, it is likely the nationwide surge in bomb threats will not subside in the near-term.
