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Police investigating after seven more school bomb threats

Delaware Public Media

More robotic-voiced bomb threats prompted evacuations at more than half a dozen Delaware schools Tuesday. The calls come after others made in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia on Monday and Tuesday.

The latest calls came in between 9:30 a.m. and noon Tuesday at Millsboro Middle School, Beacon Middle School in Lewes, Brandywine High School and Stanton Middle School in Wilmington, Central Middle School in Dover, Milford Senior High School and Greenwood Elementary School.

Police searched the buildings after students and staff were evacuated. Trooper spokesman Gary Fournier says those searches came up empty.

"I know there are probably some older troopers that have seen something similar," Fournier says. "But to see this number of schools being called within a short period of time is very unusual."

He adds they don't know yet if the calls are coming from one person or multiple people.

"At this time we do not have any leads on it," Fournier says. "The investigative efforts are being conducted by joint agencies that are sharing information and working diligently together."

He says the lead agencies for each school depend on where it's located.

In Dover, the bomb threat was only part of a tense morning for local police. No sooner were they done clearing the called-in threat, than a gunshot was reported in a first-floor school bathroom.

Police spokesman Mark Hoffman says no one was injured, but:

"It is believed at this point that a juvenile student had brought a handgun to school at some point during the day [and] passed it off to a friend or acquaintance who then took it in the bathroom," Hoffman says. "We're not sure if the shot was deliberate, or it was by accident because he was playing or handling the gun, but the shot ended up striking a toilet, I believe."

Hoffman says they don't believe the incident is related to the morning's bomb threat. He adds both students involved are being questioning about the gun's origins and why it had come to school and gone off. They may face charges, as well as school discipline.

 

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