Federal authorities say they're investigating threats made to Jewish centers both in Alabama and across the country.
A brief statement released by the FBI yesterday says they and the Justice Department's civil rights division are investigating "possible civil rights violations in connection with threats." The statement from the agency's Washington headquarters doesn't characterize the threats.
But the Anti-Defamation League also issued a statement yesterday citing "a series of bomb threats to Jewish community centers in at least 18 states."
The ADL's Jonathan Greenblatt adds, "so far these threats do not appear to be credible", and no actual explosives have been found at any of the threatened centers. But the statement says centers should still take them seriously.
The Levite Jewish Community Center in Birmingham evacuated and canceled classes after receiving a bomb threat yesterday morning.
The ADL says it's received reports of threats at Jewish centers in 17 other states including Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida and Texas.