The Houston area saw multiple reports of suspicious packages Tuesday, though none of them were found to contain explosive devices.
The surge in reports comes as the Texas Hill Country is searching for a serial package bomber.
Thompson Elementary School in Spring was put on lockdown after the report of a suspicious briefcase. Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies determined it was not a threat after explosive-sniffing K9s canvassed the campus.
A report of a suspicious package at the Houston Permitting Center also turned out to be a false alarm, Metro Police said.
“We all have that gut feeling,” said Houston Police Department bomb squad Lieutenant E.C. Bedingfield. “Don’t touch it. Don’t move it. Call the police.”
The HPD bomb squad has some serious equipment on hand to deal with potentially explosive devices. The bomb squad acquired a new $300,000 robot six months ago to add to its fleet of detonation devices.
The “unicorn” weighs half-a-ton and is virtually indestructible.
Houston’s bomb squad says investigations into local reports of explosives has been consistent throughout the years but the internet has changed how the bombs are made and who is making them.
“It’s usually been kids experimenting,” said HPD bomb squad Sgt. James Luplow. “When I was a kid, we’d go out and build forts. Now kids are stuck on the computer all the time.”
Police say access to easily found instructions and materials has allowed for more homemade bomb makers to emerge.
“People are able to make homemade explosives and they’re able to do that very easily with your common household items,” Lt. Bedingfield said. “Things that you would purchase at your corner store and hardware store.”
Two members of HPD’s bomb squad have been sent to assist the Austin Police Department as the search for the serial bomber continues.