Deputies investigate bomb threat aimed at Hendry County courthouse

HENDRY COUNTY, Fla.—Authorities evacuated the Hendry County Courthouse and closed off the surrounding block Thursday morning after a reported bomb threat involving the second floor of the building.

According to the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, a panic alarm was activated at 9:42 a.m. from the third floor of the Hendry County Clerk of Court. Deputies say an employee received a call from a man claiming there were two bombs on the second floor of the courthouse.

"Our court security immediately responded to the area. They conducted a visual search of the courthouse. They didn’t see anything suspicious. So they also contacted the Lee County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad and brought out their bomb-sniffing dogs. They did a sweep of the perimeter, and they took them inside and did a sweep inside, and they cleared everything," said Susan Harrelle, Hendry County Sheriff's Office public information officer.

Residents in LaBelle, a close-knit community, expressed their surprise at the bomb threat.

"It’s usually calm and, you know, everybody helps everybody and stuff like that, but it was a bit of a shock. You know, a bomb threat, of course, right away you’re like, holy smokes," said Mario Ontiveros, a LaBelle resident.

When asked whether nearby schools were placed on lockdown, Harrelle said the incident did not affect any schools.

"It's not affecting the schools. I understand that when you’re a parent, you’re concerned about your child's well-being. The nearest school is three or four blocks from here, so a perimeter was set up. They went in, didn’t see anything suspicious. Had they found anything otherwise, I’m sure that they would have taken additional measures," said Harrelle.

The sheriff's office emphasized the seriousness of bomb threats.

"I want you to know that making a bomb threat or any kind of threat is not a joke. If we’re able to determine who made this threat, they will investigate it, and if there are charges that are placed, they will be made, and they will be arrested," said Harrelle.

The Hendry County Clerk of Court confirmed with WINK News that operations have returned to normal.