Police and School District #83 staff are attempting to identify the person responsible for inking a bomb threat on the wall of a school washroom, which prompted a school-wide evacuation on Dec. 17.
Shuswap Middle School students returned to school Thursday, Dec. 18, one day after an RCMP police dog searched the school and found nothing after the bomb threat was discovered earlier that day.
“RCMP have given the ‘all clear’ for students to return to Shuswap Middle School tomorrow. The school was searched and it was determined there was not a threat from a bomb,” states a release from School District #83 last Wednesday afternoon.
“That written threat, that was all we found,” said Staff Sgt. Kevin Keane of the Salmon Arm RCMP detachment. “We consider the threat level low, but the response level is high to err on the side of caution.”
Students were walked to the South Broadview Elementary School gym as a temporary measure and were released to parents or bused home from there once it became clear that it would take at least the school day to search and clear the building.
“The school district would like to thank the RCMP for their quick, professional help, as well as thanks to school staff and the parents. School Principal Silke Yardley adds a very special thanks to the 600-plus students at the school who were extremely well mannered and helpful during the evacuation,” states the information from School District #83.
Keane also offered praise to the school staff for following proper protocols in having the students evacuated from the building.
“Police would like to congratulate school staff for the professional handling of the situation,” added Keane.
The school district is encouraging anyone with information about the threat to talk to school administration.