North Iredell High School went into lockdown Wednesday afternoon after a bomb threat was called in, snarling dismissal plans and prompting a law enforcement response. Kings Mountain High School was evacuated to the football field following a separate bomb threat, while Kings Mountain Middle and Kings Mountain Intermediate schools were placed on lockdown. North Iredell's lockdown lasted roughly an hour before deputies cleared the building, while Kings Mountain High School was evacuated as officials warned that afternoon dismissal could be delayed.
Third-Party Call Sparks Olin Campus Lockdown
At approximately 2 p.m. Wednesday, North Iredell High School was placed on lockdown after a third-party call indicated a potential bomb threat might be heading toward the school, according to whky.com. The high school shares a campus in Olin with the Agriculture & Science Early College, and both buildings were locked down for about an hour because of the security threat, the station's report notes. Iredell County sheriff's deputies and detectives responded to the scene and took what the same account describes as necessary precautions to ensure the safety of students and staff.
Accounts differ slightly on the exact timing of the all-clear. Whky.com reported the lockdown had been lifted by 3:15 p.m. after the situation was investigated and cleared, while a separate report put the lockdown's end around 3 p.m. Either way, officials said there was no ongoing threat once the campus was cleared.
Kings Mountain Evacuation Threatens to Delay Dismissal
In Cleveland County, Kings Mountain High School was evacuated to the football field following a reported bomb threat, while Kings Mountain Middle and Kings Mountain Intermediate schools were placed on lockdown, according to Queen City News. The outlet reported that afternoon dismissal at the school may be delayed as a result of the response. Law enforcement was on site, and school officials said they would provide additional information as it became available, per the same account.
A Pattern Echoed Elsewhere This Year
Wednesday's lockdowns follow a familiar script seen elsewhere in recent months. In Michigan, Ann Arbor police investigated similar bomb threats reported at Slauson Middle School and Ann Arbor Open K-8, according to clickondetroit.com. Officers evacuated remaining students and staff at Slauson as a precaution and searched the building, finding nothing suspicious, and both threats were ultimately assessed as not credible.
Iredell County itself has dealt with this before. A bomb threat forced the evacuation of Statesville High School in February, with police later reporting that no devices or weapons were found and that there was no credible threat, according to wbtv.com. Wednesday's incidents at North Iredell and Kings Mountain add to that pattern, though investigators had not released further details on either case as of the latest reports.
