The University of North Carolina Asheville locked down after an email threat demanded a Black Lives Matter mural be painted over, according to a school alert.
The first alert was sent Friday at 7:30 a.m, according to the school alert. The email sent the night before to multiple school offices not only had sent a “threat to the safety of members of our UNC Asheville community”, but also demanded a Black Lives Matter mural from the campus be painted over, according to an alert update from the Office of the Chancellor.
“All residential students should shelter in place, all non-essential personnel should return home. We will provide updates as they become available,” according to the school alert. In-person and virtual school activities were cancelled Friday because of the threat.
The school lifted the lockdown at 7 p.m. Friday, according to an announcement from the chancellor.
The school dispatched an alert to shelter in place for “all faculty, staff and students…until further notice,” according to the Office of the Chancellor’s message.
“A decision has been made to send a Bulldog Alert to all faculty, staff, and students to shelter in place until further notice. We ask that employees, other than essential personnel, stay away from campus today. We will keep the community apprised as information becomes available and we will reopen campus as soon as possible. But no earlier than tomorrow morning,” the message continued.
“Chief Eric Boyce and the EoC are working with senior staff and state and local authorities and we will keep you updated. Please discontinue any and all in-person and virtual classes, practices and activities throughout today,” the message continued.
On-Campus Shelter in Place – Do Not Come to Campus
Due to a threat to the safety of members of our UNC Asheville community there will be no in-person classes, practices or activities on campus today. 1/2 https://t.co/3PiGSqVKuQ— UNC Asheville News (@newsUNCA) October 9, 2020
State and local authorities are currently investigating the email that sent the school into the lockdown, according to a 10:37 a.m. update. The school was still locked down at 10 a.m and urged anyone on campus to continue being “sheltered in place until further notice,” according to an update. (RELATED: Report: Colorado School Suspends Child, Sends Police To Home After Teacher Sees Toy Gun During Virtual Class)
“While all mandatory meetings, classes, University scheduled conversations, and forums are canceled, including those to be conducted virtually, we support any optional one on one or small group virtual connections that folks want to have to support one another,” according to the alert.
The update also provided other resources for students and expressed that the school will be sending further updates.
Manager of News & PR Steve Plever told the Daily Caller News Foundation they aren’t doing media interviews and that the investigation is still underway and the school is still on lock down. Eric Boyce, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Safety/Chief of Police, did not immediately respond to the DCNF.
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