A bomb scare in central New Jersey was one of many reported around the country on Monday, but authorities have not reported if there is any connection.
Early Monday morning, the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department was made aware of a bomb threat concerning the Superior Court chambers located at 50 Paterson Street and 120 New Street in New Brunswick.
Two buildings housing the courts and the Middlesex County Administration Building were subsequently evacuated by the Sheriff’s Department.
Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, Middlesex County Sheriff Mildred Scott, and Director Anthony A. Caputo of the New Brunswick Police Department made a joint announcement about the bomb threat.
The investigation is active and continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department at (732)745-3271 or the New Brunswick Police Department at (732)745-5200.
Pennsylvania State Police said that Cowanesque Valley High School in Westfield, PA, was evacuated on Monday after they received a bomb threat.
Northern Tioga School District Superintendent Diana Barnes confirmed the incident and said all students and staff were safely evacuated.
Another bomb squad was out about 200 miles away, in North Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, on Monday after a suspicious device shut down a portion of a street for several hours.
Capt. John Christopher, with the Allentown Fire Department, said a suspicious device was found. North Catasauqua police, State Police, the ATF and the Allentown Bomb Squad responded and quickly told people to stay away from the area.
Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck said Monday evening the device in the home on Locust Street was “not a bomb” but authorities did not identify what it was.
A Harris Teeter store in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, was reopened to the public after a bomb threat Monday morning.
The Fuquay-Varina Police Department said it is continuing the investigation of the threat, which was shared via a text message to store management.
A Walmart near Columbia, South Carolina, was also evacuated after a bomb threat, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
Most bomb threats are false alarms which do not involve actual explosives, and they are intended to incite fear. An estimated 5–10% of bomb threats involve actual bombs. According to the experts, the group of people who make bomb threats is largely separate from those who attempt a real bombing, which typically occurs without warning.