UPDATE: All clear given after bomb threat to UMES

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore received the all- clear order at 1:45 p.m. Monday after a bomb threat that came in this morning. 

A call came in to the Somerset County emergency 911 office and was immediately relayed the school’s police department around 9:40 a.m.  

Although everything is clear now, investigating a bomb threat is no easy task.

Bill Robinson, the public information officer for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore says, “Everybody was out of harms way within a matter of moments once we ascertained that this was a serious threat.”

Officials at UMES started off their bright Monday morning with a bomb threat to their new aviation, science, and engineering building. That building is currently under construction.

Robinson says, “Your guess would be as good as mine as to what would motivate somebody to do something like this.”

Some construction workers who did not wish to speak with 47 ABC on- camera believe someone may have just not wanted to come in to work.

We’re told investigating a bomb threat, especially for a bomb that doesn’t exist, can cause a major inconvenience. This is particularly true for jurisdictions with limited resources.

Robinson goes on, “Most lower shore counties look to our neighbors in Worcester County. They have a bomb sniffing dog. The Maryland State Police have access to the same type of resources.”   

That’s what happened Monday. Bomb sniffing dogs were also brought from agencies across the Bay Bridge.  The school had to divert all traffic on college back bone road. There were also about one- hundred and fifty construction workers that had to evacuate the building they were working on.

Officials say because the aviation, science and engineering building is under construction, it takes the dogs much longer to assess the property. They have to go through boxes and building tools. In this case, it took the dogs roughly three hours. Officials say they will always take as much time as needed because every threat must be taken seriously. 

School officials tell us as of right now no arrest has been made. However, there is an ongoing investigation to see who is responsible for this.