ELPD Investigates Bomb Threat Directed at St. Thomas Aquinas School

The East Lansing Police Department investigated a bomb threat directed at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School this morning. 

The latest information from the City of East Lansing indicates that “In addition to a visual search, the building was searched by K9s from ELPD, the Michigan State University Police Department and the Michigan State Police Department. A bomb was not found.”    

The threat was received over the phone at 10:43 a.m. and, according to an earlier ELPD press release, emergency services safely evacuated students and staff from the building. People were originally taken from the school to the church on the premises

The call came to the main office, St. Thomas Aquinas Principal Meghan Loughlin-Krusky told ELi on Friday afternoon, and that the call came from a burner phone. 

Following procedure, Loughlin-Krusky called 911 and while she was still speaking to an emergency dispatcher, ELPD patrol cars started to arrive and begin the evacuation.

Students were taken to East Lansing High School to be reunited with their parents, part of the plan St. Thomas Aquinas already has in place for such events. Loughlin-Krusky specifically noted that help from ELPD’s Lt. Scott Sexton and Dori Leyko, Superintendent of ELPS, contributed to the smooth execution of the plan to get kids safely back to their parents.

When Loughlin-Krusky spoke to ELi around 3 p.m., parents were already being allowed back into the building to retrieve their children’s belongings.

“We’re so grateful for the community resources,” Loughlin-Krusky said. 

ELPD is requesting that anyone with information on the threat contact Lt. Sexton in the Detective Bureau (517-319-6916), calling the investigation “active and ongoing.”

This story was updated at 3:30 p.m. to include additional information provided by St. Thomas Aquinas Principal Meghan Loughlin-Krusky.