Jamaican Schools under Investigation over Bomb Threats

On Wednesday, Education Minister Fayval Williams said that a total of 74 schools in Jamaica's seven regions have received bomb threats since last Thursday. 

RELATED:

 Dominican Republic and Jamaica Sign Export Agreement

"All of our schools contacted the police upon receiving the email. They put their security protocols in place and evacuated students and staff to a safe location," the official stated.

However, he said that all the threats turned out to be hoaxes.

According to official reports, the events targeting schools led the Ministry of Education to formulate strategies to respond to bullying; the head of that portfolio said it was a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

"It is called traumatic event response and will be used in our schools to provide support services to students, faculty and staff who have experienced emotional distress as a result of the events," he said.

In addition, National Security Minister Horace Chang provided an update on the situation and clarified that the police are monitoring the incidents with support from the Jamaica Defense Force and other state agencies.

He also stated that after examining the nature of the threats, it appears that they were designed to disrupt and create a level of confusion in society.

In addition, he said that all necessary resources have been mobilized within the security forces to identify and arrest the perpetrators, and that so far they have the support of other international entities.

"That includes the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which has provided active support from day one," he said.

A suspect was reportedly arrested in connection with the threats.