Burke Teen Charged in Bomb Threat at Annandale High School

Update 4:26 p.m.— Fairfax County police today charged former Annandale High School student 19-year-old Marco Antonio Verduo Toledo of the 5400 block of Tilalary Court in Burke with felony threats to bomb and criminal trespass following their investigation of Friday morning's bomb threat at Annandale High School.

According to the police, the Explosive Ordnance Device (EOD) unit found a suspicious backpack just outside the school. Upon examination, EOD officers determined the backpack was not a threat.

Repeated calls by Annandale Patch to Fairfax County Public Schools regarding today's events at Annandale High School have not been returned.

Update 10:22 a.m.—Fairfax County Police Department and Public Schools officials have given the official "all clear" and Annandale High School has reopened.

Police did find a suspicious package this morning outside the front entrance to Annandale High School school after receiving a tip from a local news outlet around 4:30 a.m.

The resulting investigation delayed the opening of Annandale High School for several hours and impacted bus transportation for students attending 18 other Annandale area schools. During the investigation, students and parents reportedly received mixed messages about whether school would be open today.

Police have not released information on the nature of the suspicious package.

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Update 9:55 a.m.— Students and teachers are being allowed back into a limited area of Annandale High School this morning after a bomb threat was called in, according to Officer Bud Walker of the Fairfax County Police, speaking on WTOP.

Students and teachers are being allowed in to "limited parts of the building," according to Walker.

A robot may x-ray a suspicious package found. Walker said it would be taken away from the school and examined to eliminate it as a threat. It was not immediately known where the package is now. Walker was not certain if the suspicious package was a backpack as was reported earlier by WTOP.

Parents have expressed concern about how the situation was handled this morning.

Bernita Lee, whose son walks to Annandale High School, told Patch she was very frustrated at the lack of communication on the part of Fairfax County Public Schools to parents about the situation.

"As a parent, I should have heard from FCPS first," Lee said. "My family had to call me and tell me they saw it on the news. If this happened at 4 a.m., we should have been told hours ago."

"Someone should have called me," she said. "The automated messages came too late. I'm extremely frustrated." Lee also has a son who attends Poe Middle School.

Parents: What do you think about how this morning's situation was handled? Comment below this story.

Update 9:39 a.m.—Fairfax County Police Department Public Information Officer Shelley Broderick confirmed this morning that a suspicious package was discovered near the front door of Annandale High School early this morning.

Bomb experts have removed the device and are investigating. There is no information right now as to whether that device was explosive or otherwise dangerous.

Police officials said they received word about the package this morning from a news outlet, not directly from a school administrator.

Students and faculty who were removed from the property are being allowed back onto campus now.

Update 9:23 a.m.—Another emergency update from Fairfax County Public Schools says the bomb threat investigation at Annandale High School has impacted bus transportation to more than a dozen Annandale area elementary schools. The elementary schools are open for students who can get there.

"Because some of the buses that serve these schools are those that also serve Annandale High School first in the mornings, several buses are also impacted. Schools are open and students are welcome when they are able to arrive, either by parent transportation or once the buses can be cleared to transport them. The list of elementary schools [and other schools - Patch] impacted by these delays include: Annandale Terrace, Bren Mar Park, Columbia, Holmes, North Springfield, Weyanoke, Braddock, Beech Tree, Belvedere, Bryant, Camelot, Canterbury Woods, Fairhill, Little Run, Parklawn, Pine Spring, Sleepy Hollow, Poe."

Update 9:07 a.m.—An official voice message from Annandale High School went out around 9 a.m. telling parents that students are on buses now, but those buses are sitting at Annandale Terrace, Poe and Braddock schools. School is still expected to re-open later this morning.

Parent Bob Dores, whose son was told to go home earlier this morning and has no way to return to school later today, told Patch via email, "Administration gets F for this."

Several parents are at the school waiting for more information and are looking for their children.

Update 9:04 a.m.—Mixed messages and uncomfirmed rumors continue to frustrate students and parents this morning at Annandale High School.

Fairfax County police and fire officials are on the scene continuing to investigate a bomb threat that was called in around 4:30 a.m.

School administrator Dean Morehead told Patch that school will re-open today. "School will not be called off," he said. Faculty are waiting on Heritage Drive.

The A-Blast student newspaper staff says students at Annandale High School will be taken by bus temporarily to while waiting to return to their school, where police are investigating a bomb threat. However, faculty at the school are not confirming anything at this time, and no school buses are visible.

One parent told Patch via email this morning that his son was told to go home.

Among other unconfirmed rumors, some are wondering if the bomb threat is this year's senior prank.

Fire trucks have arrived at the school.

Update 8:27 a.m.—Police are diverting vehicles away from Annandale High School this morning as Fairfax County police continue to investigate a bomb threat that was called in around 4:30 a.m.

Traffic around Annandale High School is very heavy at this time.

One student told Patch that his mother dropped him off at school a little before 7:30 a.m., and he was told to come back in an hour. He's now standing in the parking lot of the high school with other students, waiting.

Some parents are reporting their students have been told to go home, but there does not seem to be a unified message from school officials on whether school is actually closed for the entire day.

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Update 8:15 a.m.—Officer Bud Walker of Fairfax County Police Department tells Patch that FCPD was contacted by the principal of Annandale High School at about 4:30 a.m. to come to the school to do a search of the school for anything resembling a bomb.

"We've responded to the request by the principal and we are still on the scene," Walker told Patch. 

Update 8:03 a.m.—A bomb threat at Annandale High School was called into an unnamed media outlet around 4:30 a.m., WTOP has reported. Students are not being allowed into the building. The Fairfax County Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit (the bomb squad) is investigating but has not found anything.

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Original Post 7:52 a.m.

Bomb Threat at Annandale High School Not Confirmed

Several parents e-mailed Annandale Patch around 7:30 a.m. reporting an alleged bomb threat at and the school is currenly on lockdown.

Annandale Patch has not been able to confirm this information officials from the Fairfax County Police Department or Fairfax County Public Schools.

Annandale Patch is headed to Annandale High School now and will provide additional information as soon as it is available.