Sandy Hook school evacuated over threat on anniversary of gun massacre

NEW YORK: US elementary school Sandy Hook, the scene of a horrific shooting that left 26 children and teachers dead, was evacuated Friday after receiving a bomb threat on the sixth anniversary of the massacre.

A police spokesman from Newton, Connecticut told AFP all of the students were evacuated without incident. A police search of the premises did not turn up an explosive device, though school administrators closed the institution for the day as a precaution.

The scare occurred exactly six years after the December 14, 2012 slaughter that saw gunman Adam Lanza, 20, enter the school with an assault rifle and shoot dead 20 six- and seven-year-olds along with six teachers, before ending his own life.

The shocking tragedy gripped the nation and sparked renewed calls for stronger arms legislation including from former president Barack Obama — though no meaningful action has been taken since. The school building was demolished in 2013 and completely reconstructed, with reinforced security and a memorial in the school yard’s garden. — AFP