(WKYT) – Kentucky State Police said in a Facebook post they are aware of and actively investigating multiple school bomb threats across the commonwealth.
They are working with local law enforcement and said none of the threats has been deemed credible so far.
Preliminary findings suggest the threats may be linked to a robocalling campaign.
Anderson County
According to Anderson County Schools administration, law enforcement has cleared the building following a threat earlier Tuesday morning.
The threat was received by a call to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. According to Superintendent Sheila Mitchell, the school has been evacuated as a precaution, and all other schools in the county are on lockdown.
Students of Anderson County High School were released to go home to allow a sweep of the building with a police dog.
“It’s kind of an inconvenience, not gonna lie. I was doing some fun stuff in engineering, and it was kind of interrupted,” said student Nelson Alvarez.
Daviess County
A threat was reported at Owensboro High School in Daviess County early Tuesday morning.
According to the Owensboro Police Department, the threat was reported shorty after 8 a.m.
Officers and school officials quickly worked to evacuate the building.
After a sweep using K-9s from local enforcement and the Kentucky State Police, no explosive devices were located, and the regular school day resumed.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Owensboro Police Department at (270) 687-8888 or provide an anonymous tip through Owensboro Crime Stoppers at (270) 687-8484.
Floyd County
Betsy Lane Elementary in Floyd County was placed on lockdown this morning following an anonymous phone call reporting a weapon inside the school, according to a social media release.
“Out of an abundance of caution, all students and staff were secured inside the building, and no entry or exit was permitted during the investigation. A thorough search of the campus and surrounding area found no weapon, and there was no confirmed threat inside the building. All students remained safe,” the release says.
Floyd County High School was put on lockdown as well after a middle school student sent a text message seen by a fellow student mentioning a possible weapon on campus.
“A comprehensive search, including K9 units, found no weapon and no confirmed threat. Authorities also visited the student’s home, interviewed the student and the parents, and determined that there was a misunderstanding. All students and staff remained safe throughout the incident,” the release says.
Floyd County Schools called the second incident “a misunderstanding” and not a “malicious act.”
Johnson County
A threat was reported at Johnson Central High School.
The school district posted this update Tuesday afternoon on Facebook:
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Johnson Central High School has been cleared by law enforcement. Students and staff have returned to the building and are resuming instruction.
While this incident has been identified as part of a nationwide prank, we will remain on a soft lockdown for the remainder of the day out of an abundance of caution. Law enforcement will remain on-site. We ask parents to please allow their children to stay and complete the instructional day.
We greatly appreciate the swift coordination of the Paintsville City Police and Fire Departments, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, the Kentucky State Police, and the Johnson County Schools Campus Police. Thank you for your continued patience and support.
Franklin County
Two Franklin County high schools were targeted by bomb threats Friday morning.
Franklin County Sheriff Dwayne Depp said they couldn’t find any credibility to those threats, but it still used up a lot of manpower, a lot of time, and a lot of money for first responders.
“You’re talking about literally thousands of dollars in man hours on just the bomb threats we received last Friday,” Depp said.
Depp sheds light on what exactly robocall campaigns entail:
“Several calls are made to a high school, a middle school, or maybe even a college or a zoo, or some facility that houses a lot of people in order to create a lot of mass confusion and chaos,” Depp explained.
Depp said he’s working with prosecutors to find who’s targeting schools in his area.
“We’re gonna go after them very relentlessly in order to get them prosecuted, in order to make sure they have an understanding about how serious, how dangerous these calls are.”