Why Should Delaware Care?
School was disrupted in certain areas of the state on Wednesday after several districts received bomb threats. Law enforcement investigators ultimately said they were not credible. They also said that schools in states across the country had received similar threats.
At least five schools in Delaware received automated voice-recorded bomb threats on Wednesday.
And the calls might be linked to larger nationwide threats. The Delaware State Police confirmed to Spotlight Delaware that they learned that “multiple states nationwide have received similar threats and language via voicemail.”
For some schools in Delaware, the calls disrupted their daily schedules. Others went on with their days as planned.
David Karas, spokesman for the Wilmington Police Department, confirmed that officers responded to Padua Academy and Cab Calloway School of the Arts in reference to reports of bomb threats. He said no devices nor other material threats were identified.
Delaware State Police also said its investigators found no evidence of bombs, despite the reported threats.
In a message sent to families on Wednesday, Concord High School Principal Jeff Lawson said the school had received a “threat of violence” that was left on the school’s answering system. Law enforcement determined it was not a credible threat, he said.
Also on Wednesday, the Capital School District announced it was implementing a two-hour delay for students in grades 1 through 8, due to a “transportation disruption,” caused by multiple bomb threats that affected school operations.
In the statement, the Capital said the delay was implemented “out of an abundance of caution” as the alerts were being investigated. They said nothing was found at any school facility.
Farther to the south, Cape Henlopen School District said law enforcement determined that a threat made to its high school “was a hoax made to cause disruption to school operations.”
Unlike the Capital School District, there was no delayed opening and the Cape Henlopen High School day continued as normal, according to the district.
Delaware House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown said in a Facebook post that she is also aware of the bomb threats made against multiple schools across the state, including her son’s school.
“As a mother, I am relieved to know that all threats involving our schools are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly,” she said in the post.
Minor-Brown also noted that law enforcement believes the threat “to be of low credibility but remains vigilant.”