Authorities are investigating numerous bomb threats sent electronically to businesses, universities and government buildings in cities around the country on Thursday.
“We are aware of recent bomb threats made in cities around the country & remain in touch w/ our law enforcement partners to provide assistance,” the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tweeted Thursday afternoon. “As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant & to report suspicious activities that could represent a threat to public safety.”
The New York Police Department said it was monitoring multiple bomb threats around the city that are not yet considered credible.
“We are currently monitoring multiple bomb threats that have been sent electronically to various locations throughout the city,” the New York Police Department counterterrorism bureau said in a tweet. “These threats are also being reported to other locations nationwide & are NOT considered credible at this time.”
Bomb threats were also reported at the University of Washington in Seattle and Penn Sate University in State College, Penn. Authorities in Detroit; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Olympia, Washington — where the Thurston County Courthouse was evacuated and then cleared to resume operations — also said they’re monitoring threats.
It is not yet clear if the threats are connected.
In Cedar Rapids, police said the threats came in a “robo-email saying there is a bomb threat to their business unless they pay money in Bitcoins.”
“We have found no credible evidence any of these emails are authentic,” the Cedar Rapids Police Department tweeted.
