Campus Alert Archive
EFSC

FBI: Ethiopia-Origin Hoax Evacuates Eastern Florida State's Cocoa and Palm Bay Campuses

FLbomb threatemergency notificationmedium confidence
UnfoundedNo evidence of an actual threat was found. The institutional response is documented because the alert communication is identical to what would occur during a real incident.

On July 12, 2022, Eastern Florida State College evacuated both its Cocoa and Palm Bay campuses around 12:15 p.m. EDT after receiving bomb threats. Law enforcement swept both campuses, found no evidence of any explosive, and issued an all-clear by approximately 1:30 p.m. The college stated the FBI believed the threats were part of a nationwide series of hoaxes originating from Ethiopia. The same day, six institutions in Hampton Roads, Virginia, and others across the country received similar calls.

Alerts
2
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
Eastern Florida State College
Community College · FL
~16,000 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction269 chars
EFSC Alert: Both the Cocoa and Palm Bay campuses are being evacuated due to a bomb threat. Please exit the buildings immediately and move away from the buildings. Law enforcement is on scene and conducting an investigation. Do not return until you receive an all-clear.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Both the Cocoa campus (EFSC's main campus in Brevard County) and the Palm Bay campus were evacuated simultaneously around 12:15 p.m. EDT on July 12, 2022
The college told media the FBI had determined the local threats were part of a nationwide pattern of hoaxes originating from Ethiopia
July 12, 2022 was the same day that six Hampton Roads, Virginia institutions received bomb threats with calls arriving between 11:11 a.m. and 1:23 p.m. -- consistent with a serial caller working through a target list
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction201 chars
EFSC Alert: All buildings are safe for return and on-campus classes have resumed. Law enforcement has completed a thorough search of both the Cocoa and Palm Bay campuses and found no explosive devices.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The college announced on Twitter shortly before 1:30 p.m. EDT: 'All buildings are safe for return and on-campus classes have resumed'
Both campuses were clear within approximately one hour of the initial evacuation at 12:15 p.m.
The brevity of the sweep was consistent with threats that were vague about building or location, allowing law enforcement to focus on exterior searches
Context

Background

Eastern Florida State College, a public community college with campuses across Brevard County, evacuated its Cocoa and Palm Bay campuses on July 12, 2022, after bomb threats were received. The college informed media that the FBI had identified the threats as part of a nationwide series of hoaxes believed to originate from Ethiopia. The Cocoa and Palm Bay campuses were swept by law enforcement, found clear, and reopened within about an hour. The same day, July 12, also saw coordinated bomb threats reach six institutions in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia: Regent University, Tidewater Community College, Virginia Peninsula Community College, Paul D. Camp Community College, Eastern Shore Community College, and Norfolk State University -- calls arriving between 11:11 a.m. and 1:23 p.m. EDT. The nationwide pattern in July 2022 differed notably from the January-February HBCU wave: it targeted community colleges, technical institutions, and regional universities regardless of demographics, and law enforcement traced multiple calls to overseas numbers. EFSC's incident illustrates how the summer 2022 wave placed the burden of response on smaller institutions with fewer dedicated security resources than major research universities.
Outcome
Both Cocoa and Palm Bay campuses evacuated and swept. All-clear issued approximately 1:30 p.m. FBI linked the threats to a nationwide wave of hoaxes originating from overseas callers in Ethiopia. No device found; no injuries.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    'All buildings are safe': Eastern Florida State College campuses reopen after reported bomb threats (Fox 35 Orlando)
    fox35orlando.com
  2. News
    Eastern Florida State College campuses reopen after bomb threat (Click Orlando)
    clickorlando.com
  3. News
    Eastern Florida State College Evacuates Cocoa, Palm Bay Campuses Following Bomb Threats (Space Coast Daily)
    spacecoastdaily.com
  4. News
    Police investigate bomb threat at 2 Eastern Florida State College campuses (WFTV)
    wftv.com
Tags
bomb-threatcommunity-collegeoverseas-callernational-wavefloridabrevard-countycocoapalm-baysummer-2022fbi-tracedUnfounded
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion