An unfounded bomb threat called in Wednesday to Liberty Elementary School is not believed to be related to other bomb threats made throughout Lake and Porter counties in recent weeks, according to the Porter County Sheriff’s Department.
The call forced the evacuation of the elementary school, 50 W. County Road 900 North.
The call was made around 9:35 a.m. Wednesday to the school’s main line and left as a voice mail, said Sgt. Jamie Erow, public information officer for the Porter County Sheriff’s Department.
The voice mail sounded like a computer-generated voice and stated there was a bomb in the building and it would detonate if 911 was called or the building was evacuated, Erow said. Officials at the school contacted police at 10 a.m.
The elementary school was immediately evacuated and its 482 students moved to the gym of nearby Liberty Intermediate School, said Jim Goetz, assistant superintendent for instruction. Students were out of class for about an hour before the building was deemed safe.
“At no time were the kids not under the teachers’ control,” he said, adding he sent an email commending Principal Christy Jarka for the way she and the school’s staff handled the situation.
School staff, the school resource officers and the sheriff’s department conducted a sweep of the school and nothing was located, Erow said. The Porter County Bomb Team also was on the scene and did not locate anything suspicious.
Police were prompt in responding to the call, Goetz said.
“I’m very proud of our teachers in the building. It’s one of those things we don’t do every day, thank goodness,” he said. “It’s nice to see the procedures that were set up were followed to a T.”
The Porter County Detective Bureau was able to track to the call to East Chicago resident and detectives determined no calls were made from their phone during the time of the threat and they are not believed to be involved.
In recent weeks, police have investigated bomb threats called in to the Wal-Mart and Cinemark movie theater in Valparaiso. Similar threats were made in April to several Lake Central School Corp. schools in Lake County, forcing the closing of those schools and others nearby.
Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
