Police investigating bomb threats made against Brandywine and Niles Community Schools

UPDATE: The Berrien County Sheriff's Department conducted a sweep of the Brandywine Middle and High School and found the threat to be unfounded. Classes will resume as scheduled with increased police presence on hand. 

Meanwhile, Ballard Elementary and Niles High School will remain closed today. In a statement, Niles Mayor Nick Shelton said, "Due to the time needed to conduct a thorough investigation and sweep of our buildings by emergency personnel and an abundance of caution, we are closing Niles High School today. All other buildings in the district will have restricted access until we receive further notification from emergency personnel."

An additional sweep of other district buildings will now be completed to determine the credibility of the threats. 

“This morning, local law enforcement informed the district of an anonymous threat made towards Ballard Elementary and Niles High School. Out of an abundance of caution, classes were canceled at these two buildings. Local police have completed their security and safety checks around these schools," Superintendent of Niles Community Schools Dan Applegate said. "At this time, they have not found the threat to be credible. All other buildings in the district will remain open with restricted access. Our first priority is to the safety of our students, families, teachers and staff. School release will be conducted as normal, and any changes will be communicated as quickly as possible. We want to thank the Berrien County Police Department, Michigan State Police and Corewell Health Canine Team for their prompt support."

Original story: BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. - Officials are currently investigating bomb threats made against the Brandywine and Niles Community School Corporation. 

The Berrien County Sheriff's Department will be conducting a sweep at Brandywine Elementary this morning to locate any potential red flags on the premises. 

Classes will resume as scheduled if no bombs are detected prior to the start of the school day. They confirmed that additional police presence would be on hand today for added security. 

A final decision as to whether or not the Brandywine Elementary will open today will be made by 10 a.m. EST. Any absences will be excused due to the threat. 

Niles Mayor Nick Shelton confirmed that a threat was also made against the Niles Community School Corporation. Reports indicate that Niles High School was also forced to evacuate, and they moved the student body to Ring Lardner Middle School for the time being. We have not officially received word on how they plan to address the situation. 

This is the third bomb threat made to Niles Community Schools this month, with the previous instances occurring on Friday, March 15, and Monday, March 18.  

Further investigation found that those previous threats came from a foreign country. 

This is a developing story, and we will provide more information once it is received.