Campus Alert Archive
HCC

A Bomb Threat Empties a Western Massachusetts Community College

MAbomb threatemergency notificationlow 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 September 25, 2014, Holyoke Community College in western Massachusetts was the subject of a bomb threat that drew a police investigation and prompted a campus response. Local outlets Western Mass News and WWLP both covered the bomb scare the same day. No device was reported found.

Alerts
1
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Holyoke Community College
Community College · MA
~9,000 studentsHCC Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message 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 reconstruction202 chars
HCC ALERT: A threat has been reported on campus and police are investigating. Evacuate campus buildings and move to a safe location. Follow the directions of college staff and police. Updates to follow.

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

Reconstructed, not verbatim: two local outlets (Western Mass News and WWLP) confirm a bomb threat and police investigation at HCC on this date, but the exact HCC Alert wording is not publicly archived.
A bomb threat at an open-enrollment community college triggers an immediate emergency notification and evacuation, which this message reflects, even where granular timeline detail is thin.
Context

Background

On September 25, 2014, Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, Massachusetts was the target of a bomb threat. Two Springfield-area outlets covered it the same day: Western Mass News reported police were investigating a bomb threat at the college, and WWLP described a 'bomb scare' at Holyoke Community College. HCC operates its own emergency preparedness program and campus alert system. This case is included to broaden the archive's coverage of community colleges and western Massachusetts, but it is held at lower confidence: while two independent local outlets confirm the threat occurred on this date, retrievable reporting was thin on the exact timeline, which buildings were affected, and the formal resolution. It is documented honestly as a confirmed-occurrence, reconstructed-text case rather than a verbatim one.
Analysis

Key Findings

Two independent local outlets confirm a bomb threat at Holyoke Community College on September 25, 2014
The threat prompted a police investigation and a campus emergency response
Detailed timeline, affected-building, and resolution specifics were limited in retrievable reporting, so the case is held at low confidence
The case broadens archive coverage of western Massachusetts community colleges while honestly flagging reconstructed alert text
Outcome
Police investigated the threat; no explosive device was reported found in available coverage. The incident is documented by two contemporaneous local outlets, but detailed timeline and resolution specifics were limited in retrievable reporting.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Police investigating bomb threat at Holyoke Comm College - Western Mass News (WGGB)
    westernmassnews.com
  2. News
    Bomb scare at Holyoke Community College - WWLP
    wwlp.com
  3. Official
    Emergency Preparedness - Holyoke Community College
    hcc.edu
Tags
bomb-threatmassachusettsholyokecommunity-collegewestern-massachusettsemergency-notificationUnfounded
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion