By Cody Mello-Klein | cmelloklein@alextimes.com

Alexandria City High School and its Minnie Howard campus were evacuated on Dec. 10 after a bomb threat on social media.

Both Minnie Howard and ACHS entered lockdown the morning of Dec. 10, during which students could not leave the school but still attended and changed classes as normal. Around 11:16 a.m., students were called in waves to get their lunch from the cafeteria before returning to and staying in their third period classrooms.

From the moment ACPS made the decision to enter lockdown, rumors began swirling about a potential bomb threat. The rumors were all but confirmed as students were told to evacuate ACHS and its Minnie Howard campus around 11:50 a.m.

According to one student, the fire alarms went off inside Minnie Howard and security guards told students to run out of the building and to the soccer field. While waiting outside, helicopters flew overhead and police cars blocked the street. Around 12:12 p.m. students started to leave campus, as buses and parents arrived to pick them up early.

At 1:18 p.m., the Alexandria Police Department announced that a threat assessment had determined there was no credible threat at either building. After being evacuated, students returned to their classes at ACHS’ King Street campus, unlike at the Minnie Howard campus.

Another potential threat on social media resulted in a lockdown at the high school on Dec. 7. Although an investigation took place, the threat was deemed not credible, according to APD.