Pair of bomb threats force two more school evacuations

A pair of bomb threats forced the evacuation of two schools in the Pascagoula-Gautier district Friday -- the second and third threats this week for that district and the fifth and sixth in the past eight days on the Coast.

The threats Friday were not a coordinated effort, said Pascagoula-Gautier Superintendent Wayne Rodolfich, they were two separate issues.

Pascagoula High School was evacuated after a threatening phone call. Students had to leave Gautier Middle School after a student found a note stuck to a mirror.

Pascagoula and Gautier law enforcement and fire and rescue responded to the threats, both schools received the all-clear and students were allowed to return, said Rodolfich, who thanked all the departments involved for their responses.

The threats came just a day after Gautier High School was evacuated Thursday.

Rodolfich said he had never experienced a spate of threats like this.

And they weren't confined to the district.

Ocean Springs Middle School was evacuated Monday by a bomb threat. Two Ocean Springs High School students were arrested Thursday in that incident.

Police Capt. William Jackson said the two called in the bomb threat as a prank. They were arrested on a charge of making a bomb threat on a public school.

That case will be handled by Jackson County Youth Court.

There were also threats at St. Martin High School and D'Iberville High School on Nov. 12. A 15-year-old was arrested in the D'Iberville case.

All of the threats thus far have apparently been pranks, officials said.

Still, threats have been disruptive, officials said.

"We have a protocol we follow," Rodolfich said. "Part of that is to evacuate students and to make sure all the rooms are clear.

"I realize we're dealing in many cases with pranks, but we will err on the side of safety of the children."

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Pair of bomb threats force two more school evacuations ."