UPDATE: Students given all clear to return to campus
Police cars blocked 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 given the all clear to return to campus after officials failed to find anything suspicious at the high school following a bomb threat.
According to Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett, the entire campus was thoroughly searched by the Russellville Police Department as well as the Florence Police Department’s bomb squad, and officials cleared the campus for students to return at 11:30 a.m.
Students and faculty at RHS were evacuated at 9:15 a.m. Thursday 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 it was the only school that was evacuated.
“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 that’s why the decision was made to evacuate the campus and conduct a thorough search.
All RHS students and faculty were taken to the Russellville Middle School gymnasium where students were already scheduled to attend a program this morning hosted by the Franklin County Development Authority and local businesses and industries.
Russellville Superintendent Rex Mayfield said students remained at the RMS gym until the all clear was given.
Hargett said even though the Yik Yak app allows for anonymous posting, law enforcement is making every effort to track the person who made the threat and appropriate charges will be filed.
