A criminal investigation is underway to identify who phoned in a bomb threat in Southampton.
Saugeen Shores Police Service Chief Mike Bellai says officers and firefighters responded around 10:00 Tuesday morning after a 9-1-1 caller told dispatchers a bomb was in a car outside G.C. Huston Public School in Southampton.
Bellai says the school, neighbouring Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre and several homes were evacuated as the investigation unfolded. A K-9 unit from Windsor was brought in to ensure the area was clear. "We've got a K-9 unit from Windsor Police [Service] that's specifically trained for bombs, so that dog is going in, it's done the immediate area where the bomb threat was supposed to be," says Bellai. "Now, we're just being very cautious and doing both the interior of the school and the we'll do the interior of the museum, as well."
With public safety secured, Bellai says the attention now turns to figuring out who called 9-1-1 and why.
"The criminal investigation division, they're working away at it right now, so we're searching to find the originator of the telephone call," says Bellai, who points out the caller could face criminal charges.
Classes will resume at G.C. Huston Wednesday morning and Principal Dan Russell says the Bluewater District School Board is making counselors available to students who require support. He says they will also be making sure students understand what happened and why they were forced to leave school so abruptly.
"We are going to be meeting with students from class-to-class and talking with students about the importance of feeling safe at school and letting them know this is why we practice those drills," says Russell. "Their safety is the first priority for us."