Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. was evacuated Friday after receiving a bomb threat exactly six years after it was the target of one of the most horrific mass shootings in American history, leaving 20 young kids and 6 educators dead.
NBC News reports that authorities were made aware of the bomb threat at 9 A.M after the Newtown Police Department received a phone call saying that there was a bomb at the school.
Thankfully, after evacuating and searching the school, authorities found no bomb. However, students and staff were sent home for the day.
Six years ago, 20 children and 6 educators were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary. The holes in our hearts will never be filled.
Help us honor them – & every life lost to preventable gun violence – by signing our remembrance card. ? https://t.co/oiElDv2Suc
— Sandy Hook Promise (@sandyhook) December 14, 2018
According to The Cut, since the shooting, it’s been an excruciating six years for the Newtown community — and the victim’s families in particular. In addition to dealing with trauma and, for some, grieving the loss of their child, families have dealt with accusations from conspiracy theorists who promote the ridiculous belief that the shooting was a hoax.
To make matters even scarier, the bomb threat at Sandy Hook was just one of many throughout the country this week.
In an article on these multiple bomb threat, Dave Altimari of The Hartford Courant writes that at least 10 communities in Connecticut also faced threats. Other institutions facing threats include Columbine High School, which, like Sandy Hook, was the site of a tragic mass shooting in 1999. The school and several others in the area were placed on lockdown.
The statement from the FBI on the recent threats reads “we aware of the recent bomb threats made in cities around the country, and we remain in touch with our law enforcement partners to provide assistance. As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities which could represent a threat to public safety.”