Danger Threat Cleared From Salem Satanic Temple Bomb Threat: Police

SALEM, MA — Salem residents and visitors were being told to stay away from the area of Derby Street Thursday morning after police said they received the second bomb threat in as many weeks at the Satanic Temple.

Police said "responsible public safety management mandates that we take these threats seriously" and were urging people to avoid the area of Bridge Street between Beacon and Osgood at about 9:30 a.m. as well as comply with any evacuation producers in the area.

Students at the nearby Carlton School were relocated to Salem High School.

Police said the Temple was searched and cleared by around 10:30 a.m.

"There is no longer any danger in the area and Bridge Street is open to all traffic," police said.

The area of Bridge Street near the Satanic Temple was also shut down the morning of Feb. 21 after Salem police received a bomb threat targeting the Temple.

Salem police later called that threat "a malicious hoax" upon clearing the area about two hours later.

It all comes on the heels of "swatting" false active shooter reports at several Massachusetts schools — including Salem High School— last week. All of those reports also turned out to be hoaxes, but a large-scale police response and lockdown were ordered as a matter of protocol.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)