LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Two juveniles have been arrested for a bomb threat at a daycare investigated by the Louisville Metro Police Department Wednesday morning.
LMPD said in a release that both juveniles face a charge of Terroristic Threatening, 2nd degree, which is a Class D felony. The names of the suspects were not released because of their ages.
LMPD Maj. Tiffany Tatum said the threat against Skillz 4 Life at 204 East Jacob St. was reported around 8:20 a.m. The daycare is located near the intersection with South Floyd Street. After a search, police said nothing was found.
UPDATE | LMPD says no threat was found and have reopened the area around Skillz4Life Daycare Center. ATF and K9s conducted sweeps. Owners of the facility tell me they plan to reopen at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow. LMPD says they will increase patrol in the area. @WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/l1bQ2XpumN
— Grace Hayba (@GraceHayba) February 15, 2023
Tatum said Fourth Division officers arrived on the scene, secured it and set up a perimeter, evacuating all of the children onto a TARC bus.
According to Tatum, officers supplied the children with toys, snacks and entertainment while police searched the daycare.
The owners of the daycare said 17 children were in their care at the time.
"Because we had to evacuate immediately we didn't have time to grab coats and things like that we are very grateful the chief of police was able to provide that TARC bus just to be able to get our kids into a warm space," said owner Dr. Marleeta Harris. "It was very traumatic for us even as the administrators, the parents I'm sure and absolutely the children. We definitely want to debrief all of the parents and we'll debrief all of our children tomorrow as we reopen the doors."
Dr. Harris runs the business with her brother Jason. He was the one who answered the first phone call and received the threats.
"It was racially motivated. I picked up the phone, he called me a couple racial slurs and threatened to kill me. Then I hung up the phone," said Jason Harris. "They called back within a 10 second span and that's when my sister picked up the phone, and that's when they started making the bomb threats."
ATF officers and police K9s were seen sweeping the scene as police investigated Wednesday morning.
According to Tatum, nothing was found and the streets around the daycare were reopened around 11 a.m.
Heavy police presence in the 200 block of E. Jacob street. Please avoid the area. Updates on twitter
— LMPD (@LMPD) February 15, 2023
Tatum said police did not tell the children why they were being evacuated.
"We let the director [of the daycare] handle that because they know the kids better than we do," she said.
MORE POLICE are lining Brook Street to College Street. Others continue to block off the Brook Street exit ramp on I-65 N. On scene by the daycare K9s appear to be doing a sweep of the area. @WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/tB9dpk7CQ5
— Grace Hayba (@GraceHayba) February 15, 2023
"It's very traumatizing, especially if you've never had contact with the police before," she added. "We're all parents. We all want to make sure the kids are safe and we want to lessen the trauma that they may experience in a situation like this."
HEAVY POLICE PRESENCE | Officers have the 200 Block of East Jacob Street blocked off. A man who lives at the Hope Village told me he was told there was “a bomb threat.” On scene we did see an officer with a bomb squad shirt walking on Jacob Street. @WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/u8sEUUwhPl
— Grace Hayba (@GraceHayba) February 15, 2023
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 502-574-LMPD (5673).
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