Several Colorado Community College Systems (CCCS) schools around the Front Range and the Auraria Campus were closed or on lockout as campus security teams and law enforcement investigated a threat Friday morning.
Around 2:30 p.m., police with CU Boulder — which was not one of the schools threatened — said law enforcement determined the threats to other Front Range colleges was a hoax.
In addition, officials for the Auraria Campus, which was among the threatened schools, said just before 2:30 p.m. that police determined the campus is safe and there was no active threat.
The Westminster Police Department said officers learned about threats to Front Range Community College, which has campuses in Longmont, Fort Collins, and Westminster, around 7:20 a.m. Friday. Officers put the Westminster school on lockout and worked through the morning to contact a person of interest. Officers were able to contact the person and it appears as if the threats are a form of doxing against this individual," police said. At the time, police said they could not verify if the threats against the school were credible.
Multiple other Front Range schools also reported threats to their campuses, and it's not clear how or if they are all connected.
The threats affected the following schools:
- Arapahoe Community College campuses in Littleton, Parker and Castle Rock
- Community College of Aurora, including the Lowry Campus
- Auraria Campus, including Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and University of Colorado Denver
- Red Rocks Community College
- Front Range Community College campuses in Longmont, Fort Collins, and Westminster
A statement on the website of the Community College of Aurora, which was impacted by these threats, read: "Last night, a number of individuals in the CCA community and the greater Colorado Community College System received threats of harm and warnings of acts of violence."
Some of the impacted schools, including Community College of Aurora campuses, were on lockout, meaning the outdoor doors were locked, but indoor activities continued as usual. The Front Range Community College campuses were on lockout until noon, when campuses closed. Just before noon, it announced all college operations Friday and Saturday will stay remote.
“FBI Denver is aware of the situations today involving college campuses and is supporting our local law enforcement partners,” said FBI Denver spokesperson Vikki Migoya in a statement.
The security team at the Community College of Aurora set up a perimeter at both of its campuses as a precaution.
The Community College of Denver, Arapahoe Community College, and Auraria Campus closed.
Red Rocks Community College said out of an abundance of caution, it closed all its campuses immediately.
Police at the University of Colorado Boulder said while no threats directly involve its campus, all classes and activities on its grounds were canceled and employees should work remotely. In addition, the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs said closed its campus immediately.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
