UPDATED INFO: 5-10-18 5:30pm Beaumont Chief of Police Jimmy Singletary on explosive device at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Beaumont.
UPDATED INFO: 4-10-18 4:55pm
Below is the transcript of an email was sent out to all parents of students at All Saints Episcopal School in Beaumont from Head Of School Scootie Clark following this morning bombing of the Chruch/school
To Our All Saints Community,
We are so grateful for your prompt response to this morning and your patience in picking up your children. Please know there was never any danger to our students, and because of the drills we have been doing on campus this year, our faculty and students remained calm and we were able to proceed with the lockdown and early dismissal in a peaceful and orderly manner.
There are many questions and this is an active investigation so there is little to share at this time. What we can say is there was an incident at St. Stephen's (BEFORE school hours) but not where we have chapel. No one was on the campus at the time and no one was hurt.
Father Balke alerted the school around 10:30 this morning and we immediately went into lockdown, bringing everyone into the classrooms and began texting parents to alert them. Law enforcement soon arrived on campus and felt that due diligence was warranted and searched the campus inside and out for anything that might look suspicious. Once the campus was secured, we were instructed to clear the campus and plans were made for an orderly dismissal of our students out the middle school parking lot.
Our campus is currently closed while law enforcement conducts their investigation. We cannot add additional comments at this time while their work is underway. We are hopeful we will be able to have school tomorrow as usual. As soon as we hear that they have reopened the campus, we will let you know.I am sure you join me in being grateful that our students and campus are safe. We are blessed to be part of a community that works so well together even in times of uncertainty. Again, we will update you as soon as we are able.
Thank you for your continued love and support.
Scootie Clark
Head of School
UPDATED INFO 5/10/18 2:07pm
Source: kfdm.com
BEAUMONT — From Episcopal Diocese:(May 10, 2018) Sometime between the end of worship Wednesday evening and the beginning of school this morning, a package detonated outside the office door of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Beaumont. No one was injured in the blast, which “broke out windows, put holes in the office walls and blew apart the bushes lining the entrance,” said the Rev. Steven Balke, rector of St. Stephens.
UPDATED INFO
BREAKING NEWS VIDEO: Beaumont Police, Beaumont Fire responding to report of 'suspicious circumstances' and minor damage to a building near St. Stephens Episcopal Church and All Saints Episcopal School. The school was on lockdown and parents were alerted to pick up their children. First responders, BPD, BFD, ATF, are on scene near Delaware and French Road, near the church and school. Stay with us for updates and live coverage at noon.
According to the text, it was a "small explosive device" and thankfully "ALL SAFE"