Bomb threat deemed hoax

Authorities evacuated Huntington Beach High School on Wednesday after a student was found in possession of fireworks and a suspicious-looking device.

Police Lt. Russell Reinhart said the student was sent to the principal’s office about 9:30 a.m. after he was reported to have fireworks. Administrators found another device, which spokesman Jim Amormino of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department described as a makeshift box with wires sticking out, in his possession and contacted the police and county bomb squad.

While the bomb squad prepared to examine the device, the area was evacuated and students, teachers and staff were sent home for the day.

The bomb squad sent in a robot to examine the device about 11:30 a.m. City firefighters, police and paramedics were also on scene, and the area of Main Street between 17th Street and Yorktown Avenue was blocked off during the inspection. In the end, it turned out to be a false alarm.

“Basically, it’s a hoax device,” Amormino said. “There were no explosives in there.”

Senior Meghan White said she was in her second-period class when officials rushed in and announced that the school at 1905 Main St., was under lockdown.

Twenty minutes later, she said, students were ordered to evacuate first to the school’s stadium and then to the street.

“Our whole school was trying to go through this little doorway, so it took a little while,” said White, 18.

She said students were unable to go back and retrieve personal belongings they had left in classrooms and their cars, causing some students to fret.

“It was the most crazy thing I’ve ever witnessed,” White said.

No injuries were reported.