Harding Middle School Searched For Explosives After Threat

LAKEWOOD, OH — Harding Middle School was swept for explosives after an out-of-state threat was made toward the school. No explosives were found and the threat has been deemed "harmless," school officials said.

Lakewood Superintendent Mike Barnes said police in Lakewood, Washington got an anonymous call from someone making a bomb threat to a "Lakewood Harding" school. Police reached out to their Lakewood, Ohio counterparts to make them aware of the threat.

At approximately 4:30 p.m., Lakewood Police and Fire conducted a thorough safety sweep of the building, including the use of bomb-sniffing dogs, Barnes said. The sweep uncovered no threat to students, staff, or the building.

"Although, this specific threat has been deemed harmless by law enforcement authorities, I wanted to make you aware of the incident and, as always, I encourage students, parents, and staff to speak up if you see or hear something unusual," Barnes said in a letter to parents, detailing the incident.

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Barnes said that Lakewood Police would be present at Harding on Tuesday morning, ensuring a smooth start to the day. The investigation into the threat is being handled by Lakewood Police and Barnes said school officials would be "cooperating fully."

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