PENN HILLS (KDKA) –Students were sent home from the Penn Hills High School Wednesday morning after a bomb threat.

According to police, the initial call came in around 6:30 a.m. saying there were six pipe bombs around the school.

“We actually got a call about 6:30 a.m. from County 911. The individual stated that there were six pipe bombs around the Penn Hills High School and anybody showing up at the high school, he was going to shoot them,” Penn Hills Police Chief Howard Burton said.

“Based on the information, our shift commander contacted the neighboring agents for bomb dogs, we diverted the school buses, did not let any students into the building or in the vicinity.”

KDKA-TV’s Brenda Waters was at the scene and spoke with some angry parents, who are looking for answers.

“This gentleman right here, police officer of the Penn Hills School District, where I pay my taxes, is not even listening to me. He’s saying all the children are out of the school. No, they are not,” one woman said.

“My daughter goes to the high school. I get a call from an employee telling me that people are locked in the cupboard and the kids don’t even know what’s going on,” another woman said.

Some of those parents received text messages from their children claiming there was a bomb scare.

About 500 to 600 students were sent to the Fralic Athletic Center during the incident.

“When we got into the Fralic, we heard rumors that there was a bomb threat, that someone had a gun. We heard so many different rumors. No one was sure what was going on,” another student said.

Students inside the Fralic Center said that two fights broke out. KDKA’s Heather Abraham reported that six students were arrested after the fights broke out. One student captured the scene with a cell phone camera.

The students were released from the Fralic Center and were put on buses or allowed to walk home.

A statement posted on the school’s website said:

“A threat was made to the Senior High School on February 2nd. Students were moved to another location in the District while police investigated. By order of the Penn Hills police, the Senior High building has been closed and the secondary location vacated. Police have sent the Senior High School students home. All other buildings in the District are running on a normal schedule; a.m. bus transportation is experiencing a delay.”

Roughly 75 teachers were inside the building at the time of the incident. A handful of students made their way into the building through the back door and were ushered into the auditorium with the teachers.

“Whatever teachers were there, that came in early, they were actually sent to the auditorium which was a secure area. From that point on we secured the building,” Chief Burton said.

Crews searched the school and the grounds for over two hours and did not find any bombs.

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