Bomb threats called into schools across RI, MA

January 19, 2016 2:07 pm

By Melissa Randall

mrandall@abc6.com

Schools were on alert Tuesday after more than a dozen bomb threats were called into schools across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The threats were made by an automated phone call making them difficult to trace.

Those threats began Friday, and each school affected had to be searched. After an extensive search, nothing found at Mount Hope High School or anywhere else. The investigation now turning to the source of those calls.

Parents picking up their kids at the Bristol Recreation Center felt a little on edge.

"A little scared… just making sure all the kids are all right. I’ve gone through this a couple of times but this one, when she called me, she was so scared. That got me a little more nervous," said one parent.

The bomb threat at Mount Hope High School is believed to be related to more than a dozen similar calls made to districts in Massachusetts, including Taunton, on Tuesday.

The threat at Mount Hope was called in shortly after lunch time and students were sent out into the cold while police searched the building and grounds. Sophomore, Patrick, says he and his classmates didn’t know what was happening.

"I was in geometry class and they didn’t tell us much, just to evacuate and go to the football field like we do for drills," he said.

"In probably 15 to 20 minutes everyone was really cold, starting to pass out, no one was wearing jackets," said another student, Kaya Moore.

Parents like Tracey Ferreira are happy with the response from police and school officials.

"It’s a good school. They know what they’re doing and they kept the kids very safe and I’m very thankful for that," she says. "You never know if it was just a prankster or the real thing, so they have to take precautions and I’m thankful they have."

Police take the threats very seriously and a penalty includes both prison time and a fine.