Bomb threat called into day care center in West Columbia, police say
A bomb threat was called into a Lexington County day care center Monday, the West Columbia Police Department said.
The threat was made in a phone call to the 5 Star Academy Learning Center, which is at 725 Raleigh St., Capt. Marion Boyce told The State on Tuesday. That’s near Sunset Boulevard, about a mile from the Gervais Street bridge.
Staff had already begun evacuating the building when police arrived after receiving the call at about 5 p.m., Boyce said.
The learning center was cleared by police officers along with South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agents, and traffic in the area was temporarily redirected, police said.
No explosive devices were found, police said.
Two juveniles were taken into custody, but have been released to their parents or guardians, Boyce said. They were each charged as juveniles on counts of conveying false information regarding the use of a destructive device, and unlawful communication, according to Boyce.
Information on how the investigation led police to the juveniles was not available.
There was no word on any connection the juveniles might have had with the learning center, or a motive for making the threat, but the incident remains under investigation.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published June 22, 2021 at 1:49 PM.
