Braddock High Briefly Evacuated Over "Suspicious" Device
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Not the typical start of the school day for some students in southwest Miami-Dade.
Emergency responders surrounded the school to investigate a suspicious device as students were evacuated from Braddock Senior High around 7 a.m.
"It was really nervous for some of us because it was our first week here so it was kind of scary," said Freshman Francisca Arleguy.
Classes were just about to start Friday morning, when Miami Dade County School Police (MDCPS) said they got a call from faculty about something strange at the entrance of the second floor auditorium.
"It's kind of shocking. I was surprised this even happened. They're always telling us fire alarm and doing those kinds of things you never expect anything to happen like that," said Senior Rolando Tamayo.
The bomb squad, hazmat crews and fire rescue were called in and the school was emptied out as a precaution.
"They escorted us out. We heard the fire alarm. We thought it was a fake alarm," said student Giovani Medina.
"Before I walked in to first period, the bell rang, like the fire alarm and then it stopped and the announcements came on and said please evacuate the building," said Arleguy.
Not knowing what was going on, frantic parents started picking kids up from school.
"I want to get my kid. I got my niece in there. I want to know what happened. They don't want to tell me what happened," said one parent.
After hours of waiting outside and several students being treated for dehydration, emergency responders gave the all clear.
"The school is deemed safe as of right now. Parents are urged to let school functions take the normal course of the day," said Commander Edwin Lopez with MDCSP.
Police said they found a suspicious bottle possibly filled with cleaner fluid.They are investigating reports of smoke coming from the bottle.
"We have no idea if this was a hoax or not. We can't give that info because we don't want to mislead anyone," said Lopez.
"I was thinking about all the type of stuff that could have happened, like if it really was a suspicious package who could have brought it," said Arleguy.
Investigators are interviewing students and looking through the schools cameras to try to figure out who put the bottle there.
