Blue Heron Middle School evacuated by bomb scare

PORT TOWNSEND — Students were evacuated from Blue Heron Middle School on Monday afternoon after a bomb threat was found on a wall inside the school.

East Jefferson Fire-Rescue spokesman Bill Beezley, acting as spokesman for the Port Townsend Police Department, said emergency responders were called to Blue Heron, 3939 San Juan Ave., at 12:13 p.m.

Children were relocated to the nearby Jefferson County Fairgrounds and were dismissed at their normal 3 p.m. time.

As of 3:50 p.m., State Patrol bomb squad dogs had cleared the outside of the school and 50 percent of its interior.

The State Patrol bomb disposal unit arrived at 3:15 p.m. and was on standby.

No suspicious items or packages had been located, he said.

No suspects have been identified.

No further details were available Monday afternoon.

The school already has been cleared twice during the 2013-14 school year for threats.

It was closed Nov. 6 due to a student overheard discussing bringing a gun to school.

On Jan. 17, it was evacuated because of a message found written on a restroom wall: “Osama bin Laden I will bomb your school.”

No bombs or guns were found in either incident.

A 12-year-old student was found to have written the Jan. 17 note, and the gun discussion proved to be groundless, according to police.

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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.

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