Schools cleared after Wednesday morning bomb threat

Published 12:55 pm Wednesday, September 15, 2021

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NATCHEZ — After an extensive search of Natchez High School and Natchez Early College campuses, law officials have cleared the schools of a Wednesday morning bomb threat.

According to Natchez Adams School District and law enforcement officials, administrators at Natchez High School received a threat of a possible bombing at the two schools in an email after 7 a.m. on Wednesday morning and immediately contacted law enforcement.

The Adams County Sheriffs Department, Natchez Police Department and Department of Homeland Security worked to track the threat’s origin and search the campuses with dogs.

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“We were able to clear,” Natchez Police Chief Joseph Daughtry said just after noon Wednesday.

Corporal Quayshawn Dennard, a Natchez Police Officer, was hit by a car while directing traffic in the intersection by Natchez High School as the threat was being investigated. He is expected to recover and was released from hospital care Wednesday afternoon, Daughtry said.

Dennard was struck by an Adams County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle in the intersection by Walmart and Natchez High School and was alert and talking when being treated at Merit Health Natchez, Daughtry said.

Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said the deputy driving the vehicle apparently had attempted to turn into the high school and didn’t see the officer in the intersection.

“We’ve sent him home to gather himself,” Patten said of the deputy. “… It was chaotic because we have two schools out here with bomb threats and everybody trying to get to the scene. Unfortunately that is what happened.”

Agencies are working to find the sender of the email which threatened the schools.

This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available.