Elementary School in Alexandria evacuated after bomb threat; After school activities canceled

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (DC News Now) — Charles Barrett Elementary School was placed on a “secure the building” status on Wednesday at about 12:15 p.m. due to a threat called into the Alexandria Police Department.

In a letter sent to families of students, Principal Loren Brodey wrote that the school day briefly continued on a normal schedule, though no one was allowed to enter or leave the school while the building remained secure.

At about 12:20 p.m., students and staff at Charles Barrett Elementary School were evacuated due to additional information regarding a bomb threat near the school.

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Students were evacuated from Charles Barrett to the Parc East Apartment lobby and Arlington County Public Schools (ACPS) staff sent buses to the school to transport them to Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology.

The Alexandria Police Department (APD) and the Alexandria Fire Department were on site and working with school officials.

All after-school and evening activities scheduled Wednesday at Charles Barrett were canceled, including student clubs, theatrical, musical or other activities and any community activities scheduled at these facilities.

Students who take the bus were dropped off at their regular bus stops.

“Given that students will be transported from another location, please be prepared for some delays,” Brody wrote in the letter. “Please note that some students do not have all their personal belongings [including] coats.

“The safety and security of our students and staff are of utmost priority. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we support our students and staff,” the letter concluded.

At 2:58 p.m. APD said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that no threat or suspicious material was found at Charles Barrett Elementary.

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