No explosives were found Monday after hundreds of students were evacuated from Canyon Hills Middle School as a precaution due to a phony bomb threat, a spokesman for the El Paso Independent School District said.
EPISD and El Paso police officers, along with FBI agents, gave the all-clear after searching the campus at 8930 Eclipse St. in the Northeast, EPISD spokesman Pablo Villa said.
The bomb threat was received about 10:30 a.m. and students initially were gathered on the football field after being evacuated from the school's buildings as a safety precaution, Villa said.
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In order not to have children outdoors during the search of the school, the students were walked over with a police escort to Edgar Park Elementary School, a half-mile away at 3601 Edgar Park St., Villa said.
Students ate lunch at the elementary school before returning to Canyon Hills at about 1:30 p.m., Villa said. Some students were picked up by their parents. The school has about 500 students.
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The FBI cautions that hoax threats could result in punishment at school and might be a potential violation of federal interstate communication laws. The FBI has had a campaign named #ThinkBeforeYouPost in an effort to curb hoax threats on social media, even if the postings are only intended as a joke.
Students and adults should refrain from sharing any potential threats on social media and should instead contact law enforcement, the FBI said.
Tips about suspected terrorism or criminal activity can be made to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso middle school evacuated after bomb threat hoax
