Sarnia police say they’re still searching for potential suspects after a fake bomb threat shuttered Lambton College for about two hours, forcing some staff and students to take shelter while a group of day campers was evacuated.
Police received a call just prior to noon Monday about a bomb in the south building of the college’s campus between London Road and Wellington Street. Faculty, staff and students in the building and the adjacent Progressive Auto Sales Arena were instructed by police to “shelter in place” while a group of day campers and camp staff using the facility this week was evacuated to the Wellington Street entrance.
The city’s emergency response team combed the building and, after the threat was found to be false, cleared the scene at around 1:45 pm
const. Nelson Amaral, a Sarnia police spokesperson, said no arrests have been made or charges laid as of press time Tuesday.
“Still under investigation,” he added via email.
Amaral previously confirmed the bomb threat-related call was made to Sarnia police directly while a Lambton College student who was in the building during the police search and lockdown told The Observer officers were searching for a room number that didn’t exist. Few other details about the bomb scare have been released.
Sarnia police are asking anyone with information to contact its criminal investigation division at 519-344-8861 ext. 5300.
Diana Forbes, a Lambton College spokesperson, said Tuesday there were too many variables, including the lunch hour, to know exactly how many staff, students and faculty were on site Monday. She was able to confirm a total of 61 day campers and 15 camp staff were there at the time.
Some of the campers were picked up by their parents as they waited outside a police barricade along Wellington Street, but those remaining when the scene was cleared were permitted to return.
Amaral said the police’s emergency response team was satisfied the threat was false after conducting a thorough search of the building. The decision to have staff and students take shelter but evacuate the campers was made by police officials on scene based on safety concerns and what information was available at the time, he said.
An automated message was sent out through the local MyCNN community notification network advising the public of the bomb threat and instructing them to stay away.