Inert device prompts evacuation at Beatrice Middle School, police say

BEATRICE, Neb. (KLKN) — Beatrice Middle School students were forced to evacuate on Wednesday morning.

Beatrice Superintendent Jason Alexander said the district became aware of a potential bomb threat at the school and evacuated students to a safe location.

“The Assistant Superintendent and I dropped everything and walked over to take a look,” he said. “Police were on scene and also looking, and determined that at that time it was in our best interest to evacuate the building.”

Around 8:15 a.m., Beatrice Police Chief Jay Murphy said someone found what looked like a homemade incendiary device in an alley just north of the school.

The Nebraska State Patrol Bomb Squad was called to the scene, and they determined it was what appeared to be an RC battery connected to wires, and it was inert, posing no threat to the public.

Murphy said it looked like someone had dropped the item while throwing things away in the alley.

Alexander said the school took immediate precautionary measures aligned with its protocol.

“The sweep of the building turned out to be safe and students returned to the building,” he said. “Parents were notified that they could come pick up their students if they wanted to, voluntarily. About half the students were released to families, and about half stayed.

The state patrol and Beatrice Police Department conducted a sweep of all the district schools, including the middle school, and deemed all buildings safe.

“Parents were asked for their patience and cooperation as we worked through this matter,” Alexander said in a media release on Wednesday. “They were asked to avoid coming to the school at that time so emergency personnel could do their jobs effectively.

“The safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority.”

Students were released to their parents at around 11 a.m.