FBI investigating bomb threats sent to schools in 15 Mass. towns
About a dozen school systems were affected.
The FBI is taking the lead in an investigation into a series of disruptive bomb threats directed at over a dozen local schools on Tuesday, Massachusetts State Police said.
Nothing hazardous has yet been found at any of the schools that received threats, police said. Some of the threats were made by phone, including automated calls, police said.
Schools in Groton, Weymouth, Taunton, Arlington, Plymouth, Salisbury, Waltham, Ayer, Tewksbury, Newton, Billerica, Swampscott, Boston, Kingston and Westford received bomb threats on Tuesday.
In addition, schools in Falmouth, Bourne, Mashpee, Plymouth, Weymouth, Arlington, and Boston received bomb threats on Friday.
“Obviously it’s a great concern because we must take each and every one seriously until we know there is no actual threat,’’ Mieth said. “It’s very disruptive to the school and to public safety.’’
The FBI is leading the investigation, working alongside State Police attached to the Commonwealth Fusion Center, state police said.
The threat against Arlington High School was “unfounded,’’ police said, but students were dismissed as a precaution.
Arlington Superintendent Kathleen Bodie thanked the school community for their patience during the event.
“This threat appears to be part of a widespread issue that affected multiple school districts across the state over the past two weeks,’’ she said in a statement. “Despite the fact that this was a widespread issue, we take these threats very seriously. Given the police presence and investigation, and out of an abundance of caution, we decided it would be in our best interests to release students, faculty and staff for the day. This also prevented students and staff from having to stand outside in the cold while police conducted a sweep of the building.’’
Police said it was unknown if that threat was related to a phoned-in bomb threat to Arlington Catholic High School on Friday.
Taunton Superintendent of Schools Julie Hackett said their central administrative offices received a call similar to a recent “spate of threatening automated phone messages’’ that have hit state and national schools recently. Hackett said police determined the threat was not specific to Taunton schools and did not warrant an evacuation.
Sacred Heart Elementary School in Kingston evacuated students after the school received a phoned-in threat on Tuesday morning. After police responded, the students were allowed back in by 11 a.m. and were “enjoying a pizza lunch and being praised for how quickly and quietly they evacuated,’’ Sacred Heart spokesman David Ellis said.
Tewksbury Police said Tewksbury High School received an automated robocall indicating a threat, and that several other communities had received the same threat.
In Waltham, students at Fitzgerald Elementary School were evacuated and moved to McDevitt Middle School after a bomb threat was called in, according to the city. At the same time, smoke was reported in the elevator room at McDevitt. Fitzgerald students were then moved to Kennedy Middle School. After a short evacuation, McDevitt students returned to classes as normal.
In Billerica, a bomb threat caused a sweep of buildings and increased police presence at schools. They did not find any evidence that lends validity to the threat, Superintendent Timothy Piwowar said.
Swampscott High School recieved a recorded call at noon, and dismissed 45 minutes early for the school to be searched by authorities, according to a letter sent to parents.
Students at Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School were evacuated after a non-specific bomb threat was made over the phone. Groton police said in a statement it was determined there was nothing harmful in the school after a sweep was made. Two people were transported to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries received during the evacuation, police said.
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