Erie police are investigating what they determined to be bogus bomb threat calls that targeted schools and at least one fast-food restaurant in the city Oct. 5.
The calls from someone reporting the placement of bombs at a number of locations came in at about 1:30 p.m. Oct. 5 and targeted places including Erie School District buildings, Cathedral Preparatory School, Mercyhurst University and a Dairy Queen, according to Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah and Deputy Chief Ken Kensill. Erie police conducted perimeter sweeps and brought in K-9 officers to check the areas but found no evidence of any bombs, Lorah said.
The threat targeted Strong Vincent Middle School but no other district schools, according to a message the district sent to parents of Strong Vincent students. The school was placed in “secure” status after the threat was received, where students were kept inside and outside doors were locked as police did a sweep of the building’s exterior and perimeter, according to the message to parents.
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At Mercyhurst University, officials were in the process of evaluating the reported threat when they learned of the other locations targeted in the city and quickly determined it was a swatting incident, Mercyhurst Police Chief DJ Fuhrmann said.
The incidents were forwarded to detectives in the Erie Bureau of Police’s Major Crimes Unit for further review and investigation, Lorah said.
Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie police probe bogus bomb threat made to schools, Dairy Queen