IED event in United States of America on Fri 31st May 2024

A suspicious device that was found at Coachella Valley High School Friday morning was deemed a hoax by the team called to investigate it, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. The device, which acting district superintendent Frances Esparza said looked like "a makeshift, handmade type of pipe bomb," was found at around 8 a.m. in an industrial building on the edge of the campus. The device was discovered by a custodian who had been cleaning the building for the past week about an hour after the start of the school day. Arriving deputies set up a perimeter and school officials arranged for the evacuation and transportation of the students to other schools. The sheriff's hazardous device team was then called in and determined that the device was a hoax and did not pose any danger. The device was then removed from the school. The sheriff's office said it had not identified who placed the device in the room and did not have further details about the investigation. Esparza said Friday morning that the device appeared to have been assembled with materials bought at a hardware store. The last day of school is on June 11, timing that could suggest the fraudulent device was placed as a prank. In a press release sent Friday afternoon, CVUSD said the school will hold a debrief of the event with the students that will include an activity designed to teach students about how to be well-prepared for potential safety incidents. Counselors will also be on the campus for students needing support.