Amid Bomb Threats At Middle, High Schools Officials Urge Students To Report Suspicions

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD — Hundreds of students and staff members at Havre de Grace Middle and High Schools were evacuated Wednesday morning after police received an email threatening "bombs in a classroom."

Cpl. Philip Goertz with the Havre de Grace Police Department said the email was received at 8:15 a.m. Police immediately contacted school officials to warn them of the threat, which prompted a full evacuation of the building. Students and personnel were sent to the athletic field while police used K9s to sniff for explosives in the school, according to the police department.

Officers from the Havre de Grace Police Department, Maryland Transportation Police and the Aberdeen Proving Ground Police worked to investigate and the threat was found to not be credible, authorities said.

Once the buildings were cleared, students and staff returned and resumed classes, according to Havre de Grace High School/Middle School Principal Brad Spence in a note sent to the school community.

"As always, the safety of our school community is our top priority. Please use this opportunity to remind your student: if they see or hear something that seems suspicious or concerning, they should report it to a trusted adult. When we all stay alert and speak up, we help keep our schools safe," Spence wrote.

After the evacuation was already underway, school officials were alerted by the Maryland Center for School Safety that similar threats were reported in jurisdictions across the state, Spence said, including Patterson Mill Middle/High School, Joppatowne High School and Harford Technical High School.

"The HCPS Office of Safety and Security is continuing to work closely with local law enforcement and the Center for School Safety as they monitor the situation," Spence said in a Facebook post.