WORLAND - A bomb threat written on a restroom stall and discovered about 4 p.m. Wednesday resulted in an evacuation of Worland High School. Concerns over the threat also resulted in students and staff entering the high school Thursday morning with law enforcement and bomb-sniffing dogs, ensuring the safety of those entering school.

According to a press release from Washakie County School District No. 1 released Wednesday evening, "At the close of school Wednesday, a student discovered and reported a bomb threat written on a restroom stall. After consulting with law enforcement officials, we determined to follow standard protocol for this type of incident. At approximately 4 p.m. those who remained in the building were evacuated from the facility."

Any practices scheduled at WHS were canceled for the rest of the evening.

Washakie County School District Business Manager Jack Stott said since the note was found in the high school and "was specific to the high school," it was the only district facility evacuated. All facilities immediately went into an emergency lock down, which prevents exterior access and shuts down the whole campus, according to Stott. Once law enforcement was mobilized the lockdown was moved to just the high school, "which is still in effect, but we anticipate lifting it in an hour or so," Stott said early Thursday afternoon.

According to Washakie County Sheriff Steve Rakness, the note stated "WHS is done." It had a drawing of a round bomb with a fuse and the date 12-20-18 and time 1:45.

"When it gets specific it concerns us. We cannot take chances with the kids at the schools. We're going to follow these procedures every time," Rakness said. "We don't know what's in a bad guy's mind and in my mind it is a bad guy if they're doing this kind of stuff to their school."

According to district officials, law enforcement officials and explosive-detection dogs from Natrona County and Lander searched the school Wednesday and the school was cleared by 10 p.m.

Initial responders to the incident were Worland Police, Washakie County Sheriff's Office, Wyoming Game and Fish, Worland Fire Department, Worland emergency medical services and Washakie County Emergency Management/Homeland Security.

Rakness said handler Melony Hoffman, deputy from Natrona County Sheriff's Office, with detection dog Koal; Sgt. John Cunningham, handler from the Lander Police Department for detection dog Sable, and bomb technician John Wienke of NCSO responded.

After the evacuation, Rakness said law enforcement conducted a cursory search and then waited for the K-9 units. The K-9 units then made a sweep and alerted on a cabinet that had nothing suspicious in it and Rakness noted the dogs did not alert on the cabinet on a second time by it.

Law enforcement then made another visual search. Thursday morning law enforcement conducted another walk through before school staff and students arrived.

THURSDAY MORNING

Thursday morning all high school staff and students entered the school through the rear gym door. Entry began at 7:30 a.m. with a brief staff meeting following the staff entering the building.

Officials from the Worland Police Department and Washakie County Sheriff's Office, along with detection dogs, were "there to take the necessary precautions to ensure that no explosives or other harmful devices entered the building."

Students entered single file into the rear gym, about 80 to 100 students at a time. They were asked to line up, take off their coats, pile them with their backpacks and cell phones.

"We were looking for specific stuff. I was able to observe the students as they entered the gym," Rakness said. "We wanted to get a visual of their personal stuff."

Rakness said there were no hits from the detection dogs on students' properties.

Once students dropped off bags and coats they were asked to exit the rear gym and wait in the commons area while the bomb-sniffing dogs searched the backpacks and other personal items. When the all clear was given students came in to retrieve their items and then returned to the commons area.

All students had entered and had items searched by about 8:20 a.m. WHS Principal Wade Sanford then announced students could go to their second-period class, which would start at 8:30 a.m. He announced over the intercom system that teachers would be modifying their final exam schedule and that students would be notified later for lunch-time procedures. Thursday was the last day for final exams.

Stott said the students were very cooperative. "They were great troopers. It was a bit cold outside [where they had to wait to enter]. They were cooperative and understanding," he said. Temperatures were in the single digits early Thursday morning.

"The back gym was a great place to do it," Stott added.

Rakness added, "All the students were pretty receptive, even though they had to stand out in the cold. We didn't get any negative feedback. Everyone was pretty upbeat and positive. The staff was cooperative."

Rakness said he did not believe that any parent held their students out due to safety concerns.

He added that they also had the detection dogs search the Worland Middle School because of the proximity to WHS, even though the threat was specific to WHS.

Following the initial entry in the morning through the rear gym, all entrances and exits were through the front door, where visitors must be buzzed in.

"There will be an increased law enforcement presence throughout the day [Thursday]," Stott said.

In an Infinite Campus message sent to parents Thursday, Stott said, "[Friday] we anticipate a return to regular operations, enhanced by a higher than normal law enforcement presence." There is an early release planned for the district to start the Christmas vacation.

The message to parents Thursday continued, "We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work through standard protocols for this type of event. We are very grateful for the full support and effort of law enforcement officials and other first responders not only in Worland, but also from other areas.

INVESTIGATION

Rakness said the investigation is continuing. He said Deputy Colleen McClain, school resource officer, interviewed students Wednesday night and Thursday and would continue interviewing students. He said she also watched video tape from the various cameras installed in the high school.

He said anyone with any information, or who may hear anything, is asked to contact the Washakie County law enforcement center, 347-2242.

"This not only disrupts the school and all the kids and their studies and their finals. It's the Christmas season and everyone's getting anxious to go home, and it disrupts all those things. And, not to mention, their parents, who are taxpayers, the extra taxpayer money that is spent to try and keep everyone safe. The kids may think it's funny but it's not funny. It costs a lot of money to mitigate this stuff."

HISTORY

The last bomb threat at WHS occurred Feb. 2, 2017. That threat occurred at approximately 3:05 p.m. on a Thursday, as the school was preparing to host a multi-school wrestling tournament. The Washakie County Law Enforcement center was notified by Washakie County Sheriff's Deputy Colleen McClain, school resource officer, of a written bomb threat found in a restroom at the school. The threat prompted the school to evacuate as sheriff's office deputies, Worland Police officers, emergency medical services, Worland Fire Department, and Search and Rescue personnel responded to secure the perimeter of the school and launch an investigation.

As with this time, explosive-detection dogs were requested. In 2017, while awaiting arrival of the dogs, law enforcement began reviewing security camera footage of the bathroom in question, quickly narrowing down several suspects for interview. As the bomb technicians and dogs arrived to search the building, Deputy McClain advised law enforcement that a suspect had confessed to the threat.

Unlike this week, in 2017, with the search of the area from the dogs and law enforcement personnel completed, and the confession, the area was pronounced all clear at 9:40 p.m.

OTHER THREATS

Last week, according to the Wyoming News Exchange, at least seven Cheyenne businesses and an elementary school in Wheatland received emailed bomb threats Dec. 13 believed to be part of a nationwide scare.

Cheyenne Police Department spokesman Officer Kevin Malatesta said none of the businesses were evacuated, and the threats were deemed not credible.

In Wheatland, students and staff were evacuated from an elementary school in response to a threat. According to a Wyoming Highway Patrol news release, a K9 squad trained to detect explosives was sent to the scene, and no explosives were found.

A bomb threat was also reported at Jackson's Wort Hotel.

According to the Casper Star Tribune, there were unsubstantiated threats made at both Natrona County and Kelly Walsh high schools on Wednesday.