A routine school day at Boonsboro High School in Washington County was abruptly disrupted when a possible improvised explosive device (IED) was found in a student's backpack, leading to the evacuation of the premises. As per the fire marshal's office, updated in a post on their Facebook page, the device was subsequently determined to be a hoax after the state bomb squad responded promptly. The swift arrival of authorities within 20 minutes and clearing any potential danger were crucial in ensuring that no individuals were harmed during the incident, as reported by WMAR2 News.

During the ongoing investigation, two students were taken into questioning with the accompaniment of their guardians, reported Herald Mail Media. The Maryland State Police led these interviews, though it remains unclear if any charges have been filed against the individuals involved. Conducting multiple sweeps, "Explosive Detection K9s conducted sweeps of the school and did not discover any additional items," further affirmed the isolated nature of this event, according to an update issued by the state fire marshal's office.

The school took precautionary measures by temporarily placing Boonsboro Elementary and Boonsboro Middle schools on Secure status, as students inside the facilities were kept. After the area was deemed safe, around 700 high school students were permitted to return to the school by approximately 2:15 p.m.