Atlantic Police Lt. Dave Erickson (P.D. website photo)

The investigation continues into Thursday’s reported bomb threat at the Atlantic Middle School. Atlantic Police Lt. Dave Erickson said the Police Department received word of the threat at around 8:30-a.m., Thursday. Erickson says just a few minutes before police were notified, a message was found on a bathroom wall, indicating the school would be “blown up at 11:45.” Police began a search of the building, and the threat was ruled not credible. Erickson says they had a “possible suspect” in the case, but that person was interviewed and then ruled out as the perpetrator. Erickson says the building was evacuated at 11:30-a.m. and the search resumed. At noon Thursday, students and staff were allowed back in the building. He says the suspect who was arrested in last week’s bomb threat at the Atlantic Middle School is NOT the same person who made Thursday’s threat. He says they continue to investigate who caused the most recent incident.

Erickson says he’s not going to give up until he runs out of leads and they will continue to look for the young person responsible. Lt. Erickson says parents who are concerned about this most recent incident, the second in one week at the Middle School, should not feel the need to pull their students out of classes. He says “The schools are extremely safe. We take every precaution to keep these kids safe at all times. There’s no reason to pull them out of school and start home schooling them, or anything like that.”