On Tuesday, January 12, at approximately 9:00 AM, Fulton County 911 put out a dispatch concerning a bomb threat made to the Fulton County Courthouse. An employee of the Courthouse was advised of a note located in the men’s first floor bathroom. The message stated “There is a bomb in the courthouse”.
The courthouse was evacuated of all staff and patrons by emergency personnel responding and was locked down. After assuring it was clear, deputies of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department and the Rochester City Police Department did a preliminary sweep of the building and grounds.
Later in the morning two bomb sniffing dogs from the Indiana State Police EOD team were deployed and search of the courthouse was conducted with nothing being located. Initially it was anticipated that the courthouse would be reopened at 1:00 PM but due to weather and road conditions there was a delay in getting one of the bomb dogs on site. The courthouse reopened at 1:30 PM.
Sheriff’s Sailors would like to convey that officials and law enforcement take these threats seriously and all precautionary measures will be utilized. This threat will be investigated to the fullest extent possible and the responsible party or parties will be held responsible. At this time a criminal investigation is ongoing.
Sheriff Sailors would like to commend the Fulton County Courthouse staff for their assistance and attention to this matter. Also to thank the Rochester City Police, Indiana State Police, Indiana State Police EOD, Rochester Fire Department, Lutheran EMS and Fulton County 911 for their assistance and prompt response.
