On Wednesday afternoon, AlertsUSA subscribers were notified of the FBI's reissuing of a public service announcement warning of ongoing bomb threats by malicious actors targeting synagogues, Jewish community centers, schools, hospitals, airports, government buildings, and other public institutions in the United States. These actors threaten to detonate supposedly hidden explosives or commit violence against the recipients or their families.
According to the PSA, the FBI, DHS, and NCTC have not identified explosive devices or actual attempts to cause explosions at locations associated with these threats. However, every threat or incident of a suspected explosive device should be considered valid until all reasonable precautions have been taken.
Since December 8th, 2023, the FBI has opened investigations on more than 100 separate threats targeting more than 1,000 institutions in 42 states and the District of Columbia. Many of these messages contain similar wording and were sent using publicly available encrypted email tools. The threats originate from multiple IP addresses, which are likely obscured using tools such as Virtual Private Networks.
The largest category of threatened institutions, over 400, are synagogues or Jewish community centers, followed by schools or school districts, and hospitals or hospital networks.
To help mitigate potential threats, DHS has compiled a compendium of resources for communities and faith leaders to assist in securing mass gatherings and public spaces.
AlertsUSA continues to monitor the overall domestic and international threat environment and will immediately notify service subscribers, via SMS messages and email, of breaking incidents of national significance, as well as any new alerts, warnings or advisories impacting the overall threat picture for American citizens, as events warrant. |
