ANDERSON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A bomb threat at Anderson County High School sent students home early Tuesday morning as they were in the middle of state testing. Kentucky State Police say school bomb threats have been becoming increasingly prevalent throughout the state over the past week or so.
The threat came in as a digitized call that included specific information, such as the location of the bomb, the timing, and a claim that someone was in the parking lot.
"The threat was that there were bombs in trash cans, so we started going through every trash can," Anderson County Sheriff David Catlett said.
Anderson County Superintendent Sheila Mitchell says law enforcement responded to the school within minutes.
Out of caution, Kentucky State Police Trooper Andy Stepp said a Kentucky State Police bomb-sniffing dog was called in to check things out — but the high school had to wait.
"It was gonna take a couple of hours for the canine to make it to our district, because of another threat in a separate district," Mitchell said.
Mitchell says the pattern of threats is a concern for students and the broader community.
"Our children do not need to be desensitized," Mitchell said.
Stepp echoed those concerns, emphasizing the emotional toll these threats take on families and the impact of students no longer feeling safe in their schools.
"A parent myself, I worry about my child. Think about what it's doing to the parents of these children who are attending these schools day in and day out, and they have no idea what's going on, and they're just in the realm of the unknown," Stepp said.
Stepp also addressed whoever is behind the threats.
"It is someone who is hiding behind a phone or a computer screen, and it, it, and it is very cowardice," Stepp said.
Despite the threat being deemed not credible, Stepp made clear that law enforcement takes these incidents seriously and has the tools to track down those responsible.
"Terrorist threatening in the first degree in the state of Kentucky is a Class C felony and it is something that we do take very, very seriously," Stepp said.
That charge could carry up to 10 years in jail.
"We do have the means and the capability of finding out who did this and where they did come from," Stepp said.
Anyone with information about the threats made on Tuesday, or any future threats, is asked to call 911 or contact Kentucky State Police at (502) 227-2221.
