U of U police investigate bomb threat against Black Cultural Center
Jan 11, 2022, 12:33 PM | Updated: Jan 12, 2022, 1:05 pm
Image of the Black Cultural Center on the campus of the University of Utah. (Facebook)
(Facebook)
SALT LAKE CITY — University of Utah Police secured the Black Cultural Center at the University after a bomb threat was called in earlier Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday morning, a threat was called into a crisis center line in Hollywood, California. The call reportedly claimed a bomb was placed in the cultural center.
University police responded to the threat at 4:25 a.m. They cleared and searched the Black Cultural Center, finding no evidence of a bomb and no one inside.
Police determined there was no immediate threat to the campus and surrounding area and opted not to use the campus emergency alert system.
Several hours after the building was secured, the university police issued a statement about the development.
Statement from @UofUPolice:
University of Utah Police are investigating reports of a bomb threat against our Black Cultural Center this morning (01/11/22) deliberately, but also with urgency, to determine the person or persons responsible and hold them accountable.
— University of Utah (@UUtah) January 11, 2022
Police are actively searching for the individual or individuals who made the call.
The University of Utah said in a statement:
The University of Utah is not a haven for this kind of hateful and biased thinking and attacks, and university leaders have committed to completing a thorough review with actionable steps to be implemented during the spring semester.
The threat to the Black Cultural Center came only a week after eight historically black colleges and universities were threatened similarly. The university noted the potential pattern in its statement.
Muslim rights and advocacy organization responds
On Wednesday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the bomb threat against the U of U Black Cultural Center.
The Communications Coordinator, Ismail Allison, referenced CAIR’s call to action for the University last month. After reports of racist action on campus, Allison called on the U of U to begin offering an anti-racist curriculum.
The investigation into the origin of bomb threat on Tuesday is ongoing. The University of Utah is working with the FBI.
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