News Update
Police arrest suspect in bomb threat hoax (updated)
By Chris Roark, croark@starlocalnews.com
The Flower Mound Police Department arrested 18-year-old Flower Mound resident Matt Pumphrey on Tuesday afternoon after connecting him to a bomb threat police say he made earlier in the day.
Flower Mound Assistant Police Chief Wendell Mitchell said Pumphrey was arrested at Marcus High School, where he is a student. But Mitchell said the campus isn't tied to the incident.
At 1:09 p.m., the Flower Mound Police Department received a report that a bomb threat was posted on a local Twitter user’s account from a person who saw the tweet.
Mitchell said it’s unclear where the tweet was made.
Sources have said the Twitter message mentioned a red Acura in the parking lot that would explode.
Flower Mound Town Hall, the Shirley Voirin Social Senior Center and the Cross Timbers YMCA were evacuated at 1:30 p.m. Pumphrey was arrested at 2:18 p.m.
Mitchell said it is unclear what the motive was behind the threat, but he said the threat was just a hoax. Pumphrey is being charged with making a terroristic threat, a Class A misdemeanor.
“It had nothing to do with today being Election Day,” Mitchell said. “Town Hall was not a voting location. We don’t have a cause yet, and we’re still investigating.”
There have also been reports of a bomb threat made in Farmers Branch the same day, but Mitchell said those two incidents are not related.
Eastbound traffic on Cross Timbers Road was temporarily diverted by 1:40 p.m.
The investigation is ongoing.
The evacuated buildings were re-opened at approximately 2:30 p.m.
Flower Mound Assistant Police Chief Wendell Mitchell said Pumphrey was arrested at Marcus High School, where he is a student. But Mitchell said the campus isn't tied to the incident.
At 1:09 p.m., the Flower Mound Police Department received a report that a bomb threat was posted on a local Twitter user’s account from a person who saw the tweet.
Mitchell said it’s unclear where the tweet was made.
Sources have said the Twitter message mentioned a red Acura in the parking lot that would explode.
Flower Mound Town Hall, the Shirley Voirin Social Senior Center and the Cross Timbers YMCA were evacuated at 1:30 p.m. Pumphrey was arrested at 2:18 p.m.
Mitchell said it is unclear what the motive was behind the threat, but he said the threat was just a hoax. Pumphrey is being charged with making a terroristic threat, a Class A misdemeanor.
“It had nothing to do with today being Election Day,” Mitchell said. “Town Hall was not a voting location. We don’t have a cause yet, and we’re still investigating.”
There have also been reports of a bomb threat made in Farmers Branch the same day, but Mitchell said those two incidents are not related.
Eastbound traffic on Cross Timbers Road was temporarily diverted by 1:40 p.m.
The investigation is ongoing.
The evacuated buildings were re-opened at approximately 2:30 p.m.
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