(Updated at 1 p.m.) Someone phoned in a bomb threat at Swanson Middle School this morning.
The caller claimed that bombs were planted in the middle school, in the Westover area. The school was quickly placed in lockdown, an Arlington Public Schools spokesman confirmed to ARLnow.
Police and fire department personnel — including bomb-sniffing dogs — were dispatched to the school around 9:50 a.m.
The following was sent to Swanson families just before 10:30 a.m.
Swanson Middle School remains in lockdown* due to a bomb threat made over the phone. The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) and Arlington County Fire Department are on the scene to determine the credibility of the threat. All students and staff are safe at this time. The safety and security of students and staff is our top priority.
At this time, we ask that parents stay where they are and remain available to receive updates and instructions as needed. Please do not come to the school. Additional details will be communicated as soon as they are known.
As of 11:15 a.m. Arlington County police said no explosives were found during a search of the school. Students were dismissed from school shortly thereafter.
“ACPD and ACFD have given the school an ‘all clear’ following a search of the school property,” families were told in an email. “The investigation into the circumstances of the telephone threat is ongoing.”
“Because of the threat, students will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m.,” the message continued. “The safety and security of your child is our top priority.”
UPDATE: A search of the property has concluded and no evidence of a crime was located at the school. The investigation into the circumstances of the telephone threat is ongoing.
— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) November 13, 2023