Tufts University spent nearly an hour and a half on lockdown Wednesday for an untrue threat claiming bombs had been planted in spots around campus.
The threat was emailed to the Somerville and Medford university’s Diversity and Inclusion office at 2:53 p.m., leading to a call at 3:39 p.m. to evacuate the campus. “Take belongings with you. Follow instructions from authorities. Avoid the area,” Tufts’ emergency systems advised.
After campus and local police, fire and ambulance personnel arrived on the scene and the named danger spots of Miller and Ballou halls, the Mayer Campus Center and Rainbow Steps were searched, the evacuation order was lifted at 4:59 p.m., The Tufts Daily reported.
The threat was about race, and claimed to come from a “multiracial group” that “doesn’t want white people to be treated like shit nor do we want those white people who are treated like shit to take it out on us” because of school programs such as one run in October that attracted international attention from right-leaning media.
https://twitter.com/DrKaz/status/1603144179340697604
“We placed several bombs in Tufts university, we don’t want anyone to die, we are just here to send a message. Evacuate now,” the email read.
The incident was met with eye rolls and exasperation.
“Because, of course domestic terrorism is the way to fight open-mindedness and diversity,” said a Twitter user identifying himself as Mike Burdulis.
Another person responding to the email online, identifying himself as Isaac Weinburg, was even more succinct: “Fucking losers.”
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