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All-clear given on courthouse bomb threat

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Official: Sixth such threat in 2016

A bomb threat was called into McKinley County District Court on Nov. 4 — but for the sixth time this year, the situation was a false alarm.

McKinley County Attorney Doug Decker said a call came in between 8:30 am and 9:30 am and the building was immediately evacuated.

“Unfortunately, things like this do happen,” Decker said. “Each one of the threats remains under investigation.”

Decker said investigators believe the culprit is someone who either has a court date or some other pressing court matter and is probably afraid to face up to what may come out of the court situation. He said the matter is particularly bad when you have a courthouse and an administrative building that are right next to each other.

“On the District Court side, it interrupts the wheels of justice,” Decker said. “The other side of that is county business slows.”

Decker said the last five such threats have actually been bomb-like, whereas the first was a report of a suspicious package outside the administrative building. In last week’s case, Decker said county employees were outside for a few hours, but, he said, the fact that county business was interrupted is no doubt one of the reasons why somebody would do this.

“District Court is a good place, but for some it is not a good place,” Decker said.

Lt. Pat Salazar of the McKinley County Sheriff’s has said a previous bomb threat caller telephoned from a traceable cell phone. MCSO is still on that case, he said.

Don’t Do It

Making a bomb threat is a fourth degree felony and punishable by fines or jail time. Salazar said the MCSO won’t hesitate at bringing the guilty party, or parties, to justice.

At least one passerby last week wondered if county employees were taking a collective break. “I thought everybody was on break or something,” Carl Pinto, 30, said. “But then I found out it was a bomb threat. I’m glad everybody is OK.”

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