Bomb threat found in W-H-A School

Walker-Hackensack-Akeley School was closed late Tuesday afternoon after a bomb threat was found in one of the school's bathrooms, school officials reported.

Superintendent Jeff Linstrom said school officials found a note about 8 a.m. in a bathroom in the middle school area of the building. The school was closed from 3:30 p.m. Tuesday to 10 a.m. today as law enforcement officials and school custodians searched the school. School officials asked students to clean out their lockers and leave them open for search.

"We have completed a sweep of all the lockers, for physical education and the students, and we've found nothing," Linstrom said late Tuesday. The school also was searched with a K-9 team, he said.

Though no suspects have been caught, Linstrom said school officials have received a few anonymous tips and will continue following leads until those responsible are caught.

Linstrom said the note left in the bathroom indicated there was a bomb in the building and the date and time it would go off. He said the note stated the bomb would go off Wednesday, and because of that all afternoon and night activities Tuesday were canceled and the school was to open two hours late today.

Linstrom said he has received telephone calls from several people about the bomb threat, a few who were upset that the school wasn't closed immediately after the note containing the bomb threat was discovered.

"We certainly could do an evacuation if need be, but ... if we started closing the school down with every bomb threat we'd start having one every week," Linstrom said.

Instead, the school's threat assessment team determined the school should be closed Wednesday during the time the note indicated the bomb would go off, and law enforcement should be called in to assist with the search.

MATT ERICKSON can be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.