The Benton Police Department was called to investigate a reported bomb threat at Benton Middle School, located on Cox Street.

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At approximately 2:00 PM, officers were notified of someone who called the school stating, “they were going to blow the school up” and then hung up. Officers responded immediately to secure the area. As a precaution, students and staff were moved to safe locations while officers and school officials worked to ensure the safety of everyone on campus. A threat assessment was evaluated an indicated the surrounding schools did not need to be evacuated.

Officers, with the assistance of Little Rock PD’s bomb detection K9 and Saline County OEM, cleared the school while Investigators began looking into the caller and determined the threat was not credible.

Investigators identified a person of interest out of state and contacted the State Police in the jurisdiction for assistance. The suspect was located and identified as a juvenile, who confessed to the prank call.

Investigators are working with State Police in that state to file charges. Due to the ongoing investigation, certain details are being withheld to protect the integrity of the investigation.

I’m a statement from Benton PD, they said, “We understand situations like this cause concern for parents and the community. Please know that the safety of students, staff, and first responders was and is our top priority. We appreciate the cooperation and patience of families as this situation was addressed.

“Thank you to Saline County OEM, LRPD, and the Benton School District for all their assistance during the incident.”

Watch MySaline for any updates.