ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) – Northwest Allen County Schools said after-school and weekend activities would resume as normal, after it was announced Friday would be an eLearning day due to a bomb threat the district received Thursday night.
According to a release from a district spokesperson, a similar threat was also sent to other
school districts across Indiana. The FBI, Department of Homeland Security and Indiana State Police were among the agencies investigating the threat.
“Our district-wide administrative team, school resource officers, and custodial staff conducted
searches of our schools, transportation facility, buses, and outdoor facilities early this morning,” said NACS Superintendent Wayne Barker. “Thankfully, those searches have successfully concluded, and our schools are deemed safe to occupy again. As such, we are planning to proceed with after school and weekend activities as scheduled.”
According to the release, district administrators followed NACS school safety plans and are working in conjunction with the Allen County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
FOX 59 reports the Henry County Sheriff said the threat- emailed to 40 school districts- was written in Arabic script, which is translated to this message:
“One of your schools has a bomb inside. It is well built, solid and discreetly (sic) located. Considering that today is your last day, I think it is appropriate for you to pray to God. Allah is the greatest.”
“At this time no suspicious or explosive devices have been found in any of our schools,” Indiana State Police said in a release Friday morning. “The investigation into the origin of this threat is ongoing.”
“The safety of our children will always be a top priority,” said Doug Carter, the superintendent of Indiana State Police. “The Indiana State Police will continue to offer any and all resources we have to schools to ensure safety for our students.”
A handful of Indiana schools decided to stay open and determined the threat not to be credible, FOX 59 reports.
FOX 59 provided a working list of school districts that are closed or on eLearning:
- Center Grove Schools (Closed)
- Fairfield Community Schools (eLearning)
- Frankton-Lapel Community Schools (eLearning)
- Guerin Catholic High School (eLearning)
- Lebanon Community School Corporation (eLearning)
- Madison Consolidated Schools (eLearning)
- Madison-Grant Community Schools (eLearning)
- Marion Community Schools (eLearning)
- Middlebury Community Schools (eLearning)
- Noblesville Schools (eLearning)
- Northwest Allen County Schools (eLearning)
- Oak Hill United School Corporation (eLearning)
- Rising Sun-Ohio County Community Schools (eLearning)
- Salem Community Schools (eLearning)
- Shelby Eastern Schools (eLearning)
- Shelbyville Central Schools (eLearning)
- Shenandoah School Corporation (eLearning)
- Southwestern Consolidated Schools (eLearning)
- Speedway Schools (Closed)
- Tipton Community School Corporation (eLearning)
- Union County-College Corner Joint School District (eLearning)
- Western School Corporation (eLearning)
- Western Wayne Schools (Closed)
Southwest Allen County Schools sent out a letter acknowledging the “large-scale threat”, but said its district was not among those the threat was sent to, and school Friday would continue as normal.
