| Fayetteville State University lifted a campus lockdown Thursday morning after police responded to reports of a possible active shooter near the HBCU. Officials confirmed that the “all clear” was issued shortly before noon, ending hours of confusion and concern among students, faculty, and families. The alert was first sent around 9 a.m. as the university urged everyone on campus to shelter in place while authorities investigated a potential threat. Police quickly surrounded the area as students shared real-time updates on social media from classrooms and dorms. “We were just hoping it wasn’t real,” one student posted on X, describing the panic as sirens echoed across campus. By late morning, Fayetteville State University confirmed that the situation was under control and no injuries were reported. “The campus has been cleared,” the university said in a statement, thanking Fayetteville Police for their rapid response and confirming that normal operations had resumed. The lockdown came amid a disturbing pattern of security threats at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Just last month, Fayetteville State was among a group of HBCUs—including Alabama State University, Hampton University, Southern University, and Clark Atlanta University—that received terroristic threats, forcing temporary campus closures and triggering heightened police presence. While none of those threats resulted in violence, the repeated disruptions have left many questioning whether HBCUs are receiving enough federal support to combat what some call targeted harassment of Black colleges. “Every time one of these incidents happens, it reopens trauma for students and staff,” said an FSU alum on Instagram. “We deserve the same level of protection and resources as any other major university.” |
