HARRISONBURG VA: (Rocktown Now) – On a tense Friday in mid‑March, colleges and universities across Virginia were thrust into chaos as a wave of emailed bomb threats triggered evacuations, emergency alerts, and rapid law‑enforcement mobilization. What began as a single report at the University of Virginia quickly revealed itself to be part of a broader pattern—one that would ultimately touch at least five to six institutions statewide.
UVA: The First Alarm
The first threat surfaced at the University of Virginia, where an email targeting Shannon Library prompted an immediate evacuation of both Shannon and neighboring Clemons Library. Police swept the buildings and found no explosive devices, later determining the threat was part of a coordinated hoax affecting multiple campuses.
George Mason University: Hours Later, Another Library Evacuated
Just hours after UVA’s alert, George Mason University in Fairfax evacuated its Fenwick Library following a similar emailed threat. Spring break meant fewer students were on campus, but police still cleared the building and conducted a full search. As with UVA, no device was found, and the threat was deemed unfounded.
Bridgewater College and Others Drawn In
By midday, it became clear the threats were not isolated. Bridgewater College, along with Randolph‑Macon College and Longwood University, also received bomb threats that triggered evacuations and police responses. All were ultimately cleared without incident.
A Sixth Campus on Alert
Reporting later in the day indicated that Shenandoah University also warned its community to avoid its library due to an unspecified “active threat,” adding to the growing list of institutions affected.
A Coordinated Hoax
By evening, authorities across the state had reached the same conclusion: no bombs were found at any campus, and according to the UVA student newspaper, The Cavalier Daily, the threats appeared to be part of a coordinated hoax campaign targeting Virginia higher‑education institutions. Investigations were closed within hours, but the disruption was significant—libraries emptied, police mobilized, and students and staff left to grapple with the uncertainty of a frightening but ultimately false alarm.
