A bomb threat forced a brief evacuation of East High School and halted a basketball tournament Friday as police swept the building, according to the Anchorage School District.
Shortly before 2 p.m., a school staff member answered a phone call and "heard a recorded message making a threat," said Dani Myren, police spokeswoman.
School was not in session Friday, but the T-bird Classic basketball tournament was being held in the school's gymnasium, said Heidi Embley, district spokeswoman.
People in the school were placed in lockdown before being evacuated around 2:15 p.m., she said.
About 45 minutes later, police reopened the building after finding nothing suspicious, Myren said.
By 3:20 p.m., the girls basketball teams from Eagle River High and Kodiak High were warming up, preparing to resume their game.
Alaska Dispatch Publishing