Missoula Police Respond to Threats to a School and Synagogue

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - The Missoula Police Department is reporting that threats have recently been made against a local Missoula synagogue, as well as at a public school in Alberton, both indicating the presence of bombs on their premises.

KGVO News spoke with Public Information Officer Whitney Bennett with the Missoula Police Department about the threats.

Missoula Police Respond to Threats to a local Synagogue and the Alberton School

“We are addressing recent threats that were made against a school in Alberton and a local Missoula synagogue both indicating the presence of bombs within their premises,” began Officer Bennett. “These messages were accompanied by a demand for payments with information that the money would be to sent to an address in Pennsylvania.”

Bennett said the Missoula Police Department immediately responded to the Missoula synagogue to investigate the threat.

Get our free mobile app

Police Responded to the Missoula Synagogue and Found no Threat

“With our Missoula synagogue receiving a similar communication on the same day, we at the Missoula Police Department are investigating this incident that happened inside our city limits,” she said. Both of these messages produced a sense of urgency, stressing the need for immediate financial transactions to prevent the alleged threats from being carried out.”

Officer Bennett said the Missoula Police Department has fully responded to the local threat here in Missoula, as well as reaching out to the Alberton school district.

Police Said there were No Threats to Missoula Public Schools

“We at the Missoula police department want to assure our community that we are actively involved in the investigation of the threat directed toward the local synagogue,” she said. “As of now, there have been no threats directed toward any Missoula County Public Schools and as a police department we are working with MCPS to determine if there is going to be a need for a response. Our preliminary assessments indicate that there's no evidence to corroborate the existence of an explosive device, and we did respond to the synagogue here in Missoula and officers checked the location to ensure everybody's safety.”

A press release from the Missoula Police Department stated:

‘The Missoula Police Department is collaborating at local, state, and federal levels to trace the origin of these fraudulent messages and identify the individuals responsible for spreading false information. The safety and well-being of our community remain our top priority.

The Missoula Police Department appreciates the cooperation and understanding of the community during this challenging time. We are committed to keeping the public informed as the investigation progresses and will take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of our residents.’