A bomb squad and the FBI rushed to a Montana elementary school Tuesday morning after an improvised explosive device was found on the playground, authorities said.
The device was thought to have detonated shortly after it was discovered at the Rossiter Elementary School in Helena, but was later confirmed to not have exploded. No one was hurt, according to the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
Police were alerted around 8:40 a.m. after school staff reported seeing a suspicious soda bottle with duct tape around it, Sheriff Leo Dutton told reporters at the scene.
The building was immediately evacuated and students were sent home. Other schools in the district were temporarily placed in a lockdown as a precaution, authorities said.
Dutton said the FBI and other federal and local agencies are investigating the incident.
No additional information was available early Tuesday afternoon, but authorities said students and staff were safe.
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This article, which was originally published by New York Daily News, has been updated to reflect the latest investigative findings that the device was not detonated.
