Police Commend Stroum JCC Staff For Quick Action After Bomb Threat

MERCER ISLAND, WA - A day after a bomb threat was called in to the Stroum Jewish Community Center here, Mercer Island police are commending the response of the center's staff for acting "safely and swiftly" to evacuate the building of about 250 people.

The threat was called in around 4:45 p.m. Monday, the same day that more than 20 other Jewish schools and community centers around the U.S. were threatened with violence.

"The staff of the JCC did a great job gathering up the small children, rounding up the adults and evacuating the entire building safely and swiftly," Mercer Island police wrote in a Facebook message Tuesday afternoon. "As with every incident like this, we all learn some things we will put in place for future drills or incidents requiring a similar response."

After the bomb threat was reported Monday night, Mercer Island requested the assistance of the King County Sheriff's Office bomb squad. Deputies Joe Merclich and Shawn Thomas, along with their K9 partners Rio and Shamus, led the search; bomb squad deputies Ignacio Janez and Hiram Grijalva also helped search the building.

No device was found, and the Stroum JCC was open as usual on Tuesday. Stroum JCC CEO Amy Lavin was not immediately available for comment.

The Stroum bomb threat is one of over 90 that have occurred in the U.S. over the last few months. In addition, two Jewish cemeteries - one near St. Louis, the other near Philadelphia - have been vandalized. Also on Monday night, 1,000 people were evacuated from a Jewish community center in Irvine, Calif., after a bomb threat.

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