FBI, ATF warn Philadelphia universities of 'unspecified' threat of violence

Universities in Philadelphia have been warned about an unspecified threat targeting schools on Monday. — (Image credit: Twitter.com/cpsj)

A threat made online against "an unspecified university near Philadelphia" is being monitored by the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

The University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, and Drexel University sent alerts out notifying students and faculty about the threat on Sunday, USA Today reports. On the University of Pennsylvania's Division of Public Safety website, a message said the ATF warned that the threat included a "specific date of Monday, Oct. 5, 2015, 1 p.m. Central time/ 2 p.m. Eastern time." Although the FBI and ATF said they have "no knowledge of any specific threat," the university said, in an "abundance of caution" it is monitoring the situation and has increased police, security officer, and CCTV patrols. Drexel University said on its website that the threat was posted on social media after Thursday's shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, USA Today reports.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.