Tensions rose at the Sarasota Military Academy yesterday when a student's backpack, reported to contain suspicious items, triggered a safety response from local authorities. The Sarasota Police Department was on the scene after an alert was made just past the 11 A.M. hour yesterday, as stated by the department's official report. School personnel, erring on the side of caution, had moved the backpack outdoors on the school's property prior to the arrival of the police.
In a move to ensure safety the students and faculty in the proximate building to the potential threat were relocated to another area within the academy grounds, it was at this time the standard precautionary measures were taken, with the Orange Avenue being sectioned off from 8th Street up until 10th Street. According to the Sarasota Police Department's statement, the maneuver was purely preventive, and it was confirmed that "all students and staff were safe and not hurt during the incident."
What could have been a menacing situation was promptly assessed by a bomb squad from a nearby law enforcement agency. The squad determined the backpack contents, which included several inactive grenades.
