Bomb squad deployed after a masked man enters a middle school

Police took a man into custody after he made bomb threats in person at an elementary school, by phone to dispatch and to media via email.

After around three hours of negotiations, according to the Utah County Sheriff's Office, Christopher Craig complied with the orders of law enforcement and they were able to take him into custody without further incident.

Dispatchers said they took a call at 2:13 p.m. from a man who claimed he was at Eagle Valley Elementary and said the school should be evacuated. He also reportedly told them that he had explosives in the trunk of his car and that he would open his trunk and arm them. He also told dispatchers to advise officers to keep their distance from the school.

Apparently the same man sent an email to news outlets, including KUTV, just after 2 p.m., making claims that he would make a bomb threat. KUTV contacted police.

Police said Craig entered the school, with as many as 250 children present at the time, and warned staff to evacuate the school.

The sheriff's office said after Craig left the school, staff immediately locked the doors and activated school lock down and evacuation procedures. Teachers and staff took students to two previously designated evacuation areas and administration was able to account for all students. The sheriff's office said some staff and Alpine School District employees did not hear the evacuation announcement and were brought out of the school later.

Students were reunited with family members "just after 5:30 p.m."