Allentown college closes campuses, citing threat of violence

Lehigh Carbon Community College.
Lehigh Carbon Community College/Facebook

Lehigh Carbon Community College in Allentown closed all campuses Tuesday afternoon as police investigated a threat of violence.

The school announced the closure on social media, saying classes would resume Wednesday.


The Allentown Morning Call said LCCC chose to close its campuses after reporting a threat to the Allentown Police Department, with last week’s deadly mass shooting at a Florida high school further influencing the decision. The closing impacted about 1,000 students.

“It’s because of the circumstances and the escalation of people’s worries, especially in light of the tragedy in Florida,” LCCC spokeswoman Linda Baker told the Morning Call.

“We talked with the Allentown Police Department, and a decision was made that we need to be very cautious.”

According to the Associated Press, Allentown Police Assistant Chief Gail Struss said the thread was not specific and that LCCC was “erring on the side of caution.”