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LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) – Four high school campuses have had to evacuate after simultaneous bomb threats and a demand for payment of a $ 500,000 ransom.
Fayette County Public Schools said shortly after noon Tuesday, officials received an anonymous message via the district’s STOP whistleblower line indicating that bombs had been placed on the following high school campuses:
- Henry Clay High School
- Lafayette High School
- Frederick Douglass High School
- Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
The message demanded the payment of a ransom of $ 500,000 to a Bitcoin account. As a result, the four schools were immediately evacuated.
“There is no room for error when it comes to the health and safety of our students and staff,” said FCPS Superintendent Demetrus Liggins. “Our schools have contingency plans in place for situations like this and have responded appropriately.”
Officers from the Fayette County Public Schools Police Department and the Lexington Police Department assisted in evacuating the estimated 10,000 students and employees on the four campuses. All students and staff were evacuated from campus and rounded up at football stadiums for the remainder of the school day.
Supplied to LEX 18
“The credit for this really goes to our school leaders,” said FCPS Chief of Police Martin Schafer. “Everything went well and we quickly got the students and staff to safety.
Lexington Police Intelligence Unit and FBI agents have launched their investigation into the source of the threat. Police believe the threat was received from outside the Fayette County public school system.
All extracurricular activities have been canceled.
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