Officials: Bomb threat in Del. leads to lockdown and an evacuation of store, several schools
According to officials, a grocery store was evacuated and four schools were placed on lockdown Wednesday afternoon following multiple threats to the buildings, in Georgetown.
Georgetown Police have said that an unknown suspect called the Wal-Mart in Georgetown and claimed to have a hostage, as well as a ready to detonate bomb, inside of the store. The police department confirmed the evacuation of Wal-Mart while adding that the building was searched, cleared, and re-opened to the public.
The Indian River School District also reported that around 2:00 PM similar threats were made to Georgetown Elementary School leading to a low-level lockdown of four schools in the district.
The Georgetown Elementary School education complex houses three of the schools placed on lockdown, Georgetown Elementary, Georgetown Middle School, and the Georgetown Kindergarten Center. The fourth school, North Georgetown Elementary School, was placed on lockdown due to its proximity to the Wal-Mart.
School officials say they were able to successfully conduct controlled dismissals of all four schools while only being delayed by about 15 minutes. The District also confirmed that nothing was found and that all students were reported safe and accounted for.
Georgetown Police Department was assisted in the investigation by the Delaware Capitol Police, Delaware State Police, Delaware Natural Resources Police, Lewes Police, and Rehoboth Beach Police. K-9 divisions from the Delaware Natural Resources Police Department and the Delaware Capitol Police Department conducted external sweeps of the education complex and the store.
According to the report Georgetown police were dispatched to North Georgetown Elementary School and Howard T. Ennis as a precautionary measure only.
Georgetown Detectives believe both threats made by the suspect were an attempt to purposely cause a mass law enforcement response to each site. This investigation is currently ongoing.
