Worcester County Sheriff's Office Press Release: Bomb Threat At Stephen Decatur High School

This morning, the Worcester County Sheriff's Office responded to a reported bomb threat at the Stephen Decatur High School. Protocol procedures were immediately put into place and multiple agencies responded to the school. The Sheriff's Office K-9 unit responded with two explosive detector dogs and immediately conducted scans of the school and surrounding areas. Students were escorted from the school while the scans were conducted. The school was searched with negative results. Members from the Criminal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Office were quickly on scene and are investigating.

At this time, an ongoing investigation is continuing with the assistance from our Federal and State partners. Members of this office have been in constant contact with surrounding jurisdictions and Federal Authorities to compare these calls that schools in our area have been receiving. We understand the frustration that parents and staff are facing and we are aggressively pursuing any leads that we discover during these investigations. We further understand the concerns about the safety of each child and the reunification process that takes place after such an event. Our partners at the Board of Education are in constant contact with us and are assisting us in evaluating our plans for each school. We are monitoring several intelligence outlets and continue to evaluate the needs of our school systems. We would like to thank those parents who responded to the school. We understand the emotion during these events and we ask for some patience when situations like these occurr. Every effort is being made to locate, identify and apprehend the individual(s) involved.

We would like to thank the Berlin Police Department for their quick response along with the Maryland State Police, Natural Resources Police, Worcester Fire Marshals Office, and the Worcester County Emergency Services Division. Also to the members of the Berlin Fire Department for their readiness in the event of an incident. We would also like to remind you to report anything suspicious that you may observe at any of our schools or businesses. Please report any suspicious activity to your local police department or to the Sheriff's Office at 410-632-1112. We will do our best to keep you posted when information is received.