Authorities say two Council Bluffs middle schools received unspecified threats Friday that Council Bluffs police quickly determined were not credible – along with several other Iowa schools. The Daily NonPareil reports just before noon, Friday, the Wilson Middle School received a recorded call indicating a vague, external threat would be coming to the school. The school was immediately placed on lockdown, but Council Bluffs Police Sgt. Chad Meyers said students did not appear to be in any real danger. Police presence was stepped up outside the school in response.
Shortly after Wilson received the all-clear at 12:25 p.m. and lifted its lockdown, a very similar threat was received at Kirn Middle School. Diane Ostrowski, chief communications officer with the Council Bluffs Community School District, said that though Kirn was not placed on lockdown, police responded and beefed up exterior security.
Meyers said authorities had been in contact with Harlan Police Department, as Harlan Community High School received a called-in bomb threat on Wednesday afternoon. The threat was deemed credible and classes were dismissed early, but the school was declared safe after a nearly three-hour search by law enforcement. A number of other threats were also made Friday against several other Iowa schools.
Media reports indicate similar threats were made at roughly the same time Friday to schools throughout Iowa, including: Ankeny, Cedar Falls, Davenport Central, Davenport West, Sioux City East and Waterloo West high schools. Mitch Mortvedt, special agent with the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, said the DCI has not yet been asked by law enforcement to be involved with investigating the threats. However, the Department of Public Safety’s intelligence division is monitoring the situation.
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