Lufkin Road Middle School in Apex dismissed students early Wednesday morning after reports of a bomb threat, according to the school and police.
Apex police said officers were called around 10 a.m. for a reported bomb threat. Police said all students and staff were evacuated to the school's football field while officers searched the campus.
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A statement from the middle school sent to parents stated that the school dismissed students early as police would spend the next few hours searching the school. The statement emphasized that all students are safe.
Apex police gave the all clear around 2 p.m. after they did not find any evidence of a bomb on campus.
Apex police said Pepper, the department’s specialized explosive detection K9, worked alongside her handler and officers with the Raleigh police department to help clear the school as quickly and safely as possible.
“She did exactly what she’s trained to do, working hard, staying focused, and carrying out her job with intensity and purpose. She served Apex with everything she had,” a release from Apex police read in part.
Students were also dismissed early around noon.
Jack Verga, a dad of twins who attend the middle school, said he hopes the threat is a false alarm.
"This is the world we live in," Verga said to WRAL News. "When I was a kid, I never had to evacuate the school for a bomb threat. What's anyone thinking in a situation like this?"
The mother of a 6th and 8th grader said she finds it sickening that someone would threaten to have a bomb or even have a bomb, calling both situations "equally disturbing."
"My kids used other kids' phones to give me a call and let me know they're okay," mother Amanda Danks said. "It's certainly disruptive to the day. Kids and parents might feel this anxiety for days and days to come."
Sky 5 flew above the school and could see law enforcement vehicles blocking the entrances into the school. Students were seen sitting out in the fields, the farthest from the building.
Faculty were also seen talking to police.
This threat comes a day after the Research Triangle Charter Academy in Durham dismissed students early on Monday and Tuesday for a bomb threat on both days.
Police said these threats are taken extremely seriously.
“Making a threat of mass violence directed at a school places students, officers, and the community at significant risk," said Apex Police Chief Ryan Johansen. "This is a Class H Felony in North Carolina, and we will thoroughly investigate this incident with the intent to hold those responsible accountable.”
The incident is still under investigation.