Westwood Police and Westwood Fire departments responded to a rumor of a bomb threat which resulted in the evacuation of people from Westwood Public Library on High Street on the afternoon of Wednesday, December 11th. Following an investigation of a little over an hour, the threat was confirmed to be merely a rumor.
Westwood Police responded with several cruisers and four officers and one detective, along with Westwood Fire personnel. They evacuated and closed Westwood’s main library. After spending around an hour searching the premises, the library was cleared and public safety officials determined there was no evidence to support the allegation of a bomb threat.
The rumor of a bomb at Westwood Public Library appears to have started among the students at Thurston Middle School (Thurston). Some students are reported to have overheard another student talking about a “bomb threat” and an obscure reference to the library, prompting a Thurston staff member to make a report to Westwood Police.
Police interviewed a number of Thurston students, and determined there was no direct source for making the bomb threat allegation, but rather each student appeared to have heard about the threat from another student.
“Police and fire both responded immediately to the library, because that’s where the alleged bomb threat was centered,” explained Westwood Police Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy. “The library had not received any calls or indications. There was no direct bomb threat made. As we traced it back to the kids, each kid had heard it from someone else, until we ran into a dead end. We talked an hour talking to students, none of whom could provide a direct source for this bomb threat,” said Lt. Sheehy.
Heavy rain, with a high of 62 and low of 36 degrees. Mist for the morning, overcast in the afternoon, mist overnight.
58° and Heavy rain