CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The Chesapeake Police Department is investigating a bomb threat Tuesday morning at B.M. Williams Primary School, which has been in the public eye recently due to the launch of a controversial after-school club.
Police said they obtained an email with threats against the school, indicating the presence of a bomb. The threat also targeted a volunteer with the After School Satan Club (ASSC), an attorney with the Virginia chapter of the ACLU and Chesapeake Superintendent Jared Cotton.
"A motive for the threat is uncertain but language in the email appears to give reference to an After School Satan Club which recently held a meeting at the school," the police department wrote.
The school was under a "level 1 lockdown," and students were evacuated from the building as police checked the building and its surrounding areas.
During the search, two explosive detection K9s were alerted to a backpack located in a classroom, but a Virginia State Police x-ray found it to be empty. No other objects were found.
School administrators dismissed students for the day and contacted parents to arrange for pickup. A spokesperson with Chesapeake police said there will be an increased police presence at school when students return.
Concerned parents expressed anger to 13News Now, who said the online threat and the After School Satan Club bring unwanted attention to their school.
"This is a hassle, this is a lot, to be worried about your children's safety over a club is unnecessary," said one Chesapeake mom.
"School leaders need to fix it, they need to stop it, and get them away from the school," said another Chesapeake mom.
The following message went out to parents and families of students:
"Early this morning, we received an anonymous email with a bomb threat. The Fire-Marshal and Chesapeake Police Department were immediately contacted to investigate the concern. As an additional precaution, students were evacuated while the building was assessed. Unfortunately, the building assessment is taking longer than initially anticipated. As a result, we will have an early dismissal at 12:00 p.m. today and all after school activities will be canceled."
June Everett with the ASSC confirmed to 13News Now that the people named in the threat are safe. Police and Chesapeake fire marshals, along with the FBI, are working to investigate the source of the threat.
Steven Bradley, Chesapeake's assistant fire marshal, said it may not be possible to identify who sent the email.
"Some of these emails are extremely difficult to trace, some of them are untraceable, so that is something we will have to work out with our partners," said Bradley.
Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or submit a tip through P3 Tips.