Thursday, 4:30 PM
FBI investigating threats against colleges in Worcester, Providence
By Dan Muse, Globe Correspondent and Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff
The FBI contacted a number of colleges in Worcester and one in Providence after it received nonspecific threats of violence against the schools, an agency spokeswoman said today. Officials have urged school officials to be alert today for suspicious activity.
Gail Marcinkiewicz, an FBI spokeswoman, said the threats had not been corroborated. They did not include a date or time and were not directed at specific schools, she said, and "they had no nexus to terrorism."
The FBI relayed the information to public safety officers at schools in both cities out of caution. "We're going to continue to try to corroborate the threat until we feel satisfied," Marcinkiewicz said. "It's an ongoing issue."
Ellen Ryder, director of public affairs, at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, said the college was contacted by the FBI Tuesday night.
"We received a call from the FBI last night letting use know that during an arrest in Seekonk, the person being arrested made mention of the fact that colleges in Worcester and, I believe Providence, were going to be the target of a shooter," Ryder said.
She was told that was the extent of the threat and that Holy Cross and other institutions were not mentioned by name.
Holy Cross public affairs sent out an e-mail this morning to the campus community explaining the situation and urging them to take precautions.
The e-mail cautioned that the threats had not been confirmed, but said, "In light of the Virginia Tech tragedy, we want you to be aware of it. We are receiving assistance from the Worcester Police Department and State Police while we gather additional information on the validity of this threat."
The college plans to post information on its website. Public safety officials at the college have not added any personnel or increased their patrols, Ryder said, but are reminding students to report any suspicious activity.
