RHS students evacuated due to bomb threat

Police cars block the entrance to Russellville High School while the school was being searched due to a bomb threat made on social media. Photo by Kellie Singleton.

Students and faculty at Russellville High School have been evacuated due to a bomb threat posted on social media late last night.

According to Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett, the threat was only directed toward the high school and this is the only school that has been evacuated at this time.

“We received a call this morning that high school personnel were initiating their bomb protocol because they had been made aware of a bomb threat posted on a social media app last night,” Hargett said.

“We immediately went to the school to assist them and we called in the Florence Police Department’s bomb squad to help us search the entire high school campus.”

Hargett said the threat was posted on the app “Yik Yak”, which is an app that allows users within a certain mile radius to post and see statements that are made anonymously.

Hargett said the threat in question stated “Attention RHS students” and was then followed by several emojis of bombs and guns.

Hargett said they take any kind of threat seriously, so they were taking every precaution to make sure the campus is clear before students will be brought back on campus.

“The Florence Police Department’s bomb squad is here now and we are searching every area of campus,” he said.

Hargett said they had no reason to believe any other schools in the area were in danger since the threat was only directed at the high school.