VIRGINIA — Two schools in Augusta County and a local hospital were investigated Wednesday after authorities received separate threats, according to the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials said Buffalo Gap High School and the nearby middle school were placed on lockdown Wednesday afternoon after an anonymous phone call threatened the school and staff. The situation was later downgraded to “secure.”
According to the sheriff’s office, all Augusta County schools were secured after the threat was received. Deputies responded to both Buffalo Gap schools and established a hard perimeter while controlling access points during the investigation.
Authorities said deputies did not locate anyone suspicious in the area.
“The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office and School Superintendent’s Office takes all threats towards our public schools seriously and treats them as credible threats until investigation either confirms or denies the veracity of the threat,” Sheriff Donald Smith said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office also investigated a bomb threat at Augusta Health in Fishersville, though authorities did not say whether the incidents were connected.
Officials said explosive detection dogs were deployed to assist with the hospital investigation. Access to the Augusta Health campus was restricted except for emergency department patients, and visitors were urged to avoid the area.
Augusta Health said it received a bomb threat by phone around 1:30 p.m. and immediately activated emergency response procedures while notifying law enforcement.
Non-emergency services at the hospital were temporarily restricted during the investigation.
Authorities later completed a systematic search of the hospital property, and Augusta Health resumed normal operations shortly after 4 p.m.
