Students and staff at St. Mary’s Dominican High School in New Orleans were evacuated Friday morning after the school reported a bomb threat claiming that explosives had been planted on campus. Police searched the grounds and gave the all clear about an hour later, and students were allowed to return to their classrooms. School officials told families that after-school activities were expected to continue as scheduled.
As reported by WWL-TV, the campus was cleared at about 8:15 a.m., with officers conducting a sweep and declaring the scene safe shortly after 9:20 a.m. The station said an email to parents thanked God for the safety of students and staff, while emphasizing that protecting the school community remained the top priority.
Threat message circulated among families
WWL-TV obtained a screenshot of a text message that circulated among students and parents, claiming multiple explosives had been planted and were set to detonate shortly before 8:30 a.m. The message read in part, "This is for all the oppression this high school does to its students. Marcos magnanakaw," according to the station.
Translation and context
The Tagalog word "magnanakaw" literally means "thief," so the line was widely read as "Marcos is a thief." Dictionaries list magnanakaw as the Tagalog word for thief (Pinoy Dictionary), and historians note the Marcos era in the Philippines became associated with allegations of corruption and excess (Britannica).
School response and safety
St. Mary’s Dominican, which lists its contact information and safe-environment policies on its website, told families via email that safety was its "main focus" and expressed gratitude that everyone was safe. Parents seeking information are directed to the school's main office and official pages for updates (St. Mary’s Dominican High School).
Investigators did not immediately identify a suspect and authorities had not released details about who sent the message, according to the initial reporting. The story was reported by Yahoo News, which said it had reached out to police for further comment.
