UPDATE Feb. 26 at 4:30 p.m.:
Fox 4's Bella Line spoke with Captain Susan Harrelle with the Hendry County Sheriff's Office and she said it started with a phone call to a clerk.
"The clerk had received a phone call from a gentleman that said that they planted two bombs in the courthouse, this is no joke and hung up," Harrelle said.
Fox 4's Bella Line shows us the scene:
She said roads surrounding the courthouse were shutdown.
Taylor Sumerall, who was waiting to pick someone up from the courthouse, said she wasn't worried.
“I don’t think really anybody’s gonna do something like that in this county with our county being the way they are and how they handle things, it’s very much everybody kind of plays by the books," said Sumerall. "I feel like it was definitely more of somebody just wanting to make a joke than anything."
Harrelle said investigators are looking into the call and the person could face felony charges.
“It’s no joke and we don’t take it as a joke. We take it very seriously, we’re going to look into it, and we’re going to continue to investigate it and we’ll file charges," Harrelle said.
A spokesperson for the courthouse tells Fox 4 that it's back open and afternoon hearings went on as normal.
Update 2/26 @ 1:20PM: Our crew on scene tells us that after hours of active law enforcement activity at the Hendry County Courthouse following a bomb threat, the scene is beginning to clear.
Update 2/26 @ Noon:
The Hendy County Clerk of Court is currently closed after an employee says a man called claiming there was a bomb on the second floor Thursday morning.
The Hendry County Sheriff's Office says a panic alarm was activated at 9:42 a.m. from inside of the Hendry County Clerk of Court.
Deputies say court security immediately evacuated the courthouse complex.
A visual sweep was conducted. No bomb was found.
The entire block surrounding the court house has been closed, as bomb-sniffing dogs from Lee County conduct an extensive search.
If you need to make utility payments, you can still access the drive-thru window during regular business hours.
Original Reporting:
According to a spokesperson, the Hendry County Courthouse was evacuated Thursday morning following a bomb threat.
The Hendry County Sheriff's Office is currently conducting a sweep.
This is a developing story.
