Threats on consecutive days at Research Triangle Charter Academy force evacuations

Police responded to threats on back-to-back days at Research Triangle Charter Academy in Durham.

The academy closed early on Monday after police searched the campus in light of a reported bomb threat.

Then on Tuesday, students left campus around 2 p.m. as officers looked for suspicious activity. Police said there were no "suspicious occurrences" after looking around.

On Monday, officers cleared the campus just after 11 a.m. There were no signs of a bomb or legitimate threat on school grounds. 

Students and staff left the building, and the parking lot was mostly empty at 9 a.m. Police were blocking the area when Sky 5 flew over the school. Officers learned about the threat around 7:40 a.m.

Officers didn't reveal where Monday's threat originated from. 

On Monday, Students were seen outside the school building on Ellis Road. The campus was closed for the rest of the school day.

A school spokesperson said in part, “We are proud of our students and staff who remained calm and were able to safely be picked up by their families.”

According to national school safety expert Ken Trump, a national uptick in swatting calls has mostly leveled off as many states increased punishments.

"There are two categories of threats, those that originate locally, where somebody who has a grievance, and swatting threats, those that come from outside of the area," Trump said.

On Monday afternoon, Durham police responded to a separate bomb threat at Walmart on Glenn School Road. The store was evacuated, but officers found no credible threat. The store eventually reopened.