Newtown Church Was Evacuated After Bomb Threat

The St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Newtown is roughly one mile from Sandy Hook Elementary.

People stand outside a vigil at the Saint Rose of Lima church in Newtown, Connecticut December 14, 2012. Image by Shannon Stapleton / Reuters

Reuters reports that the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church was evacuated early Sunday after a bomb threat was reported by officials. The threat was reported during Sunday’s services at the church, which is a mile from where 28 people were shot and killed on Friday.

Martine Powers was on the scene and tweeted “At St. Rose Church in #Newtown, parishioners asked to evacuate building because of “threat to the church”.” She wrote that paramedics, firefighters, SWAT, and state police surrounded the church in the wake of the evacuation.

Later, Powers tweeted “It looks like #Newtown officials no longer worried about threat; some state police in camo got in a car and drove away,” and reported that the threat was apparently made by phone and things appear to be safe for now, but that events at the church are cancelled for the day.

Members of a Connecticut State Police SWAT team depart the St. Rose of Lima Catholic church in Newtown, Connecticut December 16, 2012. Image by Lucas Jackson / Reuters

A SWAT team enters Saint Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church as firefighters remove a red tarp in Newtown, Connecticut December 16, 2012. Image by Joshua Lott / Reuters