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Federal Officials Investigating Possible Threat at West Point

Security measures increased at military academy

Cadets at the United States Military Academy march out of Eisenhower Barracks Friday, May 31, 1996, for their Graduation Parade at West Point, N.Y. The more than 900 cadets will graduate Saturday. (AP Photo/Jim McKnight)
December 7, 2015

Federal officials are investigating a possible threat at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

A post on the U.S. Army Garrison at West Point’s official Facebook page Sunday disclosed the investigation, which is being spearheaded by military and other federal officials. The credibility of the threat is unknown, but the superintendent of the military academy has increased security on the campus out of caution.

"Military and other federal law enforcement officials are investigating a threat that may have been directed at West Point," the Facebook post read. "While those officials are working to determine the credibility of the threat, and out of an abundance of caution, the Superintendent has increased certain security measures."

Security officials are conducting increased vehicle searches at the gates of the academy, according to the social media message. An earlier post warned visitors that "access times into the installation will take longer than normal" because of increased security measures that came in response to "recent events."

News of the possible threat comes just as the United States receives increased threats from the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIL or ISIS) in the wake of the Nov. 13 terror attacks in Paris that killed 130 people.

Moreover, the FBI is currently investigating Wednesday’s shooting at a holiday party in San Bernardino, California, as an act of terrorism. The two attackers, who later died in a shootout with police, killed 14 people. One of the attackers, Syed Rizwan Farook, had contact with Islamic extremists in recent years, and the other, Tashfeen Malik, pledged allegiance to IS on social media during the attack.

The Islamic State has said that both attackers were supporters.

Published under: Military