Bomb hoax fuels fears in Floresville

Parents worried about bomb threat for upcoming graduation

FLORESVILLE, Texas – The discovery of what appeared to be a pipe bomb outside a home in Floresville is fueling fears that people already had in response to a threat made about an upcoming graduation ceremony.

Floresville police responded to a call after 8 p.m. Tuesday from a woman who lives in the 700 block of Fourth Street.

"To a suspicious device that a lady had found in her yard while she was doing some lawn care," said Chief Lorenzo Herrera, with the Floresville Police Department. "(The officers) called the SAPD bomb squad. They arrived a short time later, detonated the device and luckily, of course, it was a hoax bomb."

Herrera said the device, which appeared to be a one-foot-long black cylinder, was actually a set of batteries, wrapped in electrical tape, with a flashing light and wires coming out of it.

Officers didn't take any chances and evacuated some of the homes nearby, although it later was determined there was no danger, Herrera said.

The discovery, however, did seem to fuel fears that some people already had.

Susan Green said she read on Facebook about a bomb threat that had been made regarding an upcoming graduation ceremony at Floresville High School, the school her daughter attends.

In the wake of the neighborhood pipe bomb scare, she said, she considered keeping her child home.

"I called the school and they let me know that they were treating school as a normal school day today and the kids were expected to be here," Green said. "It's scary to me that the kids would be required to be here."

In a statement released Wednesday morning, Sherri Bay, Floresville ISD's assistant superintendent, addressed the issue, saying, "A threat was found written on the wall in the boy's restroom at Floresville High School concerning our 2013 Graduation Ceremony."

The statement also indicated that the school district has contacted local and state authorities, and is taking all precautions.

"A Wilson County Deputy will be on site Thursday evening to Friday morning patrolling the campus," the statement read. "A representative from Homeland Security with a bomb dog will be on site Friday to make sure the campus is secure. In addition, extra officers will be present before, during, and after the ceremony. It is our goal to make sure all students are safe and that graduation proceeds as planned."

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About the Author:

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.