For the fourth day in a row, the school day has faced disruption and alarm thanks to bomb threats.
The threats, delivered by telephone through a computer-generated voice, have led to evacuations, searches of the buildings and investigation by local and state police.
On Thursday, threats were dialed in naming multiple schools on Aquidneck Island, prompting the evacuations of Thompson Middle School and Rogers High School in Newport and Middletown High School in Middletown.
Middletown police Lt. Jason Ryan said in a news release that the department got a call at 12:30 p.m. and a robotic voice said that a bomb was planted in three Aquidneck Island Schools. “Upon receiving the message, the Newport Police Department was immediately notified by our dispatcher. Also at that time, a decision was made to evacuate Middletown High School while authorities searched the building. Once evacuated, all students were placed on buses and sent home for the day,” Ryan said.
The threat Thursday was similar to the three prior threats made against local schools this week:
Local police are investigating along with the state police, state Fire Marshal’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
A press conference by authorities in Boston Friday could shed some light on the ongoing investigation into the robocall threats, which have all been hoaxes.