Bridges Academy in San Jose was evacuated Friday after a backpack was found to contain a 750-milliliter bottle of liquid labeled "Nitroglycerin," police say.
School staff called police around 8:20 a.m. after making the scary discovery. A bomb squad and fire crews were also dispatched to the McLaughlin Avenue campus. People in the vicinity were urged to shelter in place.
The bomb squad placed the bag in a safety container and will test the liquid before disposing of it. It remains unclear whether it is in fact the chemical, which is well known as an explosive material.
Franklin-McKinley School District officials said on Twitter that police told them the bomb scare was a hoax. Police have yet to independently confirm that information.
Police officers finished a sweep of the middle school before clearing the scene around 11 a.m. Students went home and traffic was once again permitted on McLaughlin Avenue, which had been closed between Bacchus and Audubon drives to make room for emergency vehicles.
Police activity forced VTA line 72 to be rerouted in both directions.
