Bomb threat at Linz school: What we know – and what we don’t

• What was the trigger for the large-scale operation? The Central Station police station received a bomb threat via email on Wednesday morning, which specifically referred to the Academic High School in Spittelwiese in Linz.
• What happened then? The operation started at 10 a.m. A exclusion circle of around 80 meters was set up around the school. The building was evacuated in just eight minutes. 377 students and teachers were escorted out of the danger zone by heavily armed police officers.
• Who was in action? According to police, “All available patrols” were ordered to Linz city center. In addition, officers from the Cobra special unit took position; an armored, bright blue transporter stood next to the Passage shopping center on the country road in case of an emergency. Special forces searched the school building with explosives detection dogs and detectors.
• Did they find what they were looking for? No. At around 4:35 p.m. – around six and a half hours after the operation began – the police gave the all-clear. “No suspicious people or objects were found,” police spokeswoman Barbara Riedl told OÖN. The closure in the city center has been lifted.
  
• Was “half of the city center” really affected by the closure? No. The Spittelwiese was not allowed to be entered from either side – the country road and the promenade. Therefore, Herrenstrasse was also closed. The Linzerie shopping center could be accessed from the country road. The trams ran as usual.
• What happened to the students after the evacuation? The majority of the students were taken to the country house park on the promenade, while a few classes were taken to the Passage shopping center. A Linz AG bus arrived at around 12:15 p.m. He took the evacuees to nearby schools on Fadingerstrasse and Körnerstrasse. They were picked up there in the afternoon.
• Are there classes again on Thursday? Yes. The executive released the building late in the afternoon. It was also relieving news for twelve students who are taking the Latin Matura at the Akademisches Gymnasium or Abendgymnasium on Thursday.
• There was a loud bang. Were shots fired downtown? According to the police, a gun shot was accidentally fired during a change of duty. Nobody was injured. The background is still being checked.
• Were high school graduates affected? Nope. No 8th grade students were affected, but four evening students who wanted to graduate in Spanish were affected. The exams were canceled. The high school graduates were then allowed to decide whether they wanted to continue the exams at another school or take them at another time. All four decide to continue.
• What is known about the threatening email? Not much. We don’t know whether the email was related to the high school diploma or whether there is an Islamist background. The police simply said that it was a detailed threat and that all directions were being investigated. The possible author was also kept under wraps for the time being “for investigative reasons”.

Also read: Bomb threat: “Suddenly a teacher stormed in and shouted: Everyone out!”

Localization: The location in the middle of Linz city center