Howard University officials say investigations have started into a break-in at an abandoned building that had once housed some of its most important historical artifacts. The intruders failed to make off with anything of significance, but the school was alarmed with the brazenness of the intrusion.“We take this incident of trespassing very seriously and the Howard University Department of Public Safety (DPS) has already begun investigating the matter,” said Rev. Kenyatta Gilbert, dean of Howard’s School of Divinity, said in a statement on the school’s website.

The development comes after a viral TikTok video surfaced showing individuals entering Mays Hall on the eastern portion of the Washington D.C. campus. In the footage, the group is shown breaking through boards that sealed the building’s windows, and flipping through old library materials. It is unclear what materials were left in the facility, but it housed the School of Divinity from 1987 until 2015, when it was moved to the western portion of the campus, while plans were made for redevelopment of the east campus.

Many of the material relevant to coursework and the divinity school’s accreditation was removed, as well as artwork, administrative documents, and archival items. But due to a lack of storage space, other material had remained in Mays Hall, according to Howard.  

Gilbert says campus public safety will ramp up patrols in and around the area of Mays Hall and the school will reassess the remaining contents of the building and make sure nobody else attempts to gain unlawful access.

“Despite the University’s efforts to remove historically relevant materials from the site in 2015, the actions of those who trespassed and broke into Mays Hall remind us how some are willing to violate the sacred boundaries of our beloved HBCU campuses and threaten to embolden others with similar actions,” said Gilbert.

The break in is the latest criminal activity to take place on Howard’s campus. In August one student was stabbed and several were injured during a security breach outside of one of the school’s residence halls. As many as 50 people attacked the students, according to reports School officials say the suspects in that incident were a crew of teenagers that went around Washington D.C. instigating fights.