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Bomb threats continue at Decatur

Stephen Decatur High School in Berlin and other county schools have seen an unprecedented level of bomb threats during the last two weeks, triggering evacuations on three different days.
The high school was evacuated on Jan. 13 and 19, and all county schools were cleared on Jan.15.
Last Friday, hundreds of Decatur students were moved across Seahawk Road, to the Harley-Davidson store on Route 50, during the evacuation. Dozens of students crowded into the parking lot on the cold afternoon, while others waited inside for their parents to arrive.
Staff and police took turns directing traffic outside the store, while one school official made announcements over a megaphone. Meanwhile, several armed police officers patrolled the perimeter of the school as bomb squads worked to clear the buildings.
Two other times, the high school students were transferred to Stephen Decatur Middle School, with students returning after the buildings had been cleared. On Tuesday, students were able to return to class by noon.
Lt. Ed Schreier with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office said it was the first time the area had seen so many threats during such a short span.
“This is the first time we’ve experienced something of this magnitude,” he said during a phone interview on Tuesday.
Schreier said “an actual person,” believed to be a juvenile student, called in the threat on Jan. 13. The suspect was later taken into police custody.
“The rest have been classified as robo-calls,” he said, adding that two of the calls, including the most recent one on Tuesday, specifically mentioned Stephen Decatur High School.
Because of the ongoing nature of the case, Schreier said he could not comment on the specifics of the investigation, but said it involved several agencies.
“Our main priority is the safety of the kids and the students in the schools, so we’re taking every measure possible under our guidelines to help ensure that and help eliminate the fear that’s produced by these calls coming in. That’s the biggest problem, is people’s fear gets heightened.
“As soon as we are able to, we will let the public know exactly what’s taken place,” Schreier continued. “We’re trying to put a quick and judicious end to this.
Schreier went on to say the bomb threats were not limited to Worcester County.
“Area wide, we’ve seen this issue taking place,” he said. “We’re concentrating on Worcester County, but we’re working with other agencies with the overall end in mind to get it taken care of.”
In Berlin, Police Chief Arnold Downing said law enforcement was focused on keeping parents and students calm during the evacuations.
“All we did is assisted the various schools and made sure everything was safe,” he said.
Downing confirmed federal authorities were also looking into the incidents, and that Berlin did not have an active investigation regarding the threats.