WESTPORT, CT — A bomb threat phoned into a middle school prompted a lockdown and extensive search of the building that found no explosives or armed individuals.
Bedford Middle School, located at 88 North Avenue, received the threat via telephone call to the main office at approximately 10:32 a.m. Monday.
The caller reported that explosive devices had been placed within the school and that armed individuals were currently inside it.
Westport Police with the assistance of mutual aid from neighboring agencies immediately responded to secure the premises and investigate.
Bedford Middle School was placed into a lockdown protocol.
Neighboring Staples High School was also placed into an approximately hour-long shelter in place protocol as a precaution, although there was no incident occurring there.
Westport officers assisted by officers and canine units from Fairfield, Norwalk and the Connecticut State Police as well as the Stamford Police Department’s Bomb Squad conducted multiple systematic sweeps and searches of the premises.
After an exhaustive search, no threats or explosive devices were located, and the lockdown protocol was lifted at approximately noon.
Shortly after the initial call was received by the school, other agencies around the state began receiving calls of a similar nature, suggesting that this was potentially part of an organized hoax.
The origins of the telephone call threat remain an active investigation by the Westport Police Department.
