MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — A bomb threat was called in to the McLennan County Sheriff's Office at 8 a.m. Friday, prompting the evacuation of the McLennan County Courthouse and nearby buildings in Waco.
- Deputies conducted a primary and secondary search of the courthouse, the district attorney's office, and the annex using a K-9 unit before giving the all clear.
- All court dockets were canceled for the day by order of the county judge, leaving residents with scheduled court appearances turned away and directed to contact their attorneys.
- The sheriff's office says an investigation into the source of the threat is ongoing.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A bomb threat Friday morning prompted the McLennan County Sheriff's Office to evacuate the McLennan County Courthouse and nearby office buildings, canceling all court dockets for the day.
At 8 a.m., the sheriff's office received a call reporting a bomb threat at the courthouse. Deputies evacuated the building along with nearby offices, including Waco Work.
"We saw some police cars, you know the yellow tape, we thinking somebody tried to run or something, and we get here and it's a bomb threat," Heavenly Bradshaw said.
Heavenly and Tejuan Bradsaw had a court appearance scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday. After encountering road closures surrounding the courthouse, they learned from a deputy that the building was closed for the day.
"All over there is closed off, all around the courthouse is closed off," Bradsaw said.
A deputy directed them to stay in contact with their attorney until further notice.
"They told me to keep in contact with my attorney and everything until further notice, so I'm guessing they're just going to schedule ahead," Tejuan Bradsaw said.
The sheriff's office conducted a primary and secondary search of the courthouse, the district attorney's office, and the annex using a K-9 unit before giving the all clear. Witnesses said the response made them feel safe.
The sweep by DPS EOD K9 and MCSO Bomb Techs of the courthouse and annex have been completed. Out of an abundance of caution, the Courthouse and Records Building will remain closed to the public for the rest of today and are expected to reopen on Monday.
"They blocked the roads, made sure that their entire perimeter was secure, and they worked swiftly," Cory Duncan said.
The county judge made the decision to close the courthouse for the day. The sheriff's office says an investigation into the source of the threat is ongoing.
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