Newtown church evacuated after phone threat

A Connecticut State Police tactical team searches the area around St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church while responding to a bomb threat, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. / AP Photo/Charles Krupa

NEWTOWN, Conn. Police say there's no danger at a Connecticut church following a phoned-in threat days after 20 children and six adults were massacred at a school.

Deborah Metz, a Trumbull police officer on the scene, gave the all-clear after an hour in which armed police in SWAT gear searched the St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church and adjacent buildings.

The evacuation unnerved worshipers in the wake of the worst shooting of school-age children in U.S. history.

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Victims of Conn. school shooting

Brian Wallace, director of communications for Diocese of Bridgeport, said people were asked to leave shortly after the call came in during the homily.

To interrupt people trying to heal, Wallace said, is a very "tragic and difficult thing."

The St. Rose school, church and rectory were all searched. The police said they feel "very comfortable" that everything is secure.

Since Friday's shooting, the church has been open 24 hours for people to come and pray. Police say the church will be on lockdown for the rest of the day.

Wallace said the church should reopen tomorrow.

Shooter Adam Lanza, his mother and eight of the child victims attended St. Rose of Lima. It is a Roman Catholic Church with an adjacent school, which Lanza attended briefly.

It will be the site of funerals for eight of the murdered children, and possibly one of the teachers, sources told CBS News.

Anna Wood, who was inside the church, described the scene as "surreal" to CBS News.

Wood said she was from Oxford, Conn., but came to St. Rose because of the shooting, and said the church was packed, including children.

She said no one seemed scared as they left the church, and that one boy who asked why people were asked to leave was told they were in recess.

[WhereisOT]

Plenty of Evil willing to keep the Terror going..
While hiding in the shadows...

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

People are tired of living in fear of gun violence that the republicans and NRA's wild wild west gun culture mentally has wrought on our great nation. Gun violence has to be addressed. Do not let republicans or the NRA dissuade you Mr. President the country has your back on this.

[twmat311]

The coments here for the most part show how we've lost our way. The point? TWENTY CHILDREN DIED. Does anyone think for a minute we can look at what we've become with this?

Disgusting we can still get wrapped up in our same old political, theist/atheist, NRA baited arguments. Twenty children died, people.

[toms324]

It's too bad about that tragedy. And all them beautiful little kids that got hurt.we Keep going down the same road Never changing. You see it on television it's in music it's everywhere we feed it to our children. The news media covers extensively about it. But for some reason we can't break free of it. It comes with all kinds of names. We have to have a new beginning. And get away from the old way of thinking. Which never went anywhere only down a pat of destruction. For some reason we can't let anything go.we must have every thing. In Carrie all the bad baggage with us

[MIO42]

I might add that gun control in the US is like climate change.
It has passed the point of No Return

[MIO42]

Actually you may find this Amazing ,too reaffirm the existence of a Deity you only have to look to an aethiest for that affirmation
Thank God we have them !

[GeniusPhx]

that's mean spirited and demeaning for a religious person to say. aren't you supposed to be about inclusiveness, compassion, love, acceptance?? at whatever point you assimilate your own faith, then you'll see that we are all the same. We atheists are perfectly happy where we are, most of us were like you once and found our own truth: and to think we would go back to being a grumpy hateful christian is just insulting.

[Wingsfan1983]

This is very sad. I hope they are able to find the person who made the threat.

[dedbear]

Our society has certainly gone to hell. First the children and then some a**hole has to call in a bomb threat when people are reaching to God for help and answers. I bet the person who called in the bomb threat thinks this murderer was correct in what he did. You can tell our society has to morals or values. Parents seemed to have stopped teaching their kids the difference between right and wrong. Lets hope the person who called in the bomb threat burns in hell when they die, and lets hope this murderer is burning in hell also.

[steelydan19]

Right and wrong have absolutely nothing to do with religion. Most of the truly evil acts perpetrated in this world are done so in the name of religious belief. To cause so much suffering in the name of superstitious nonsense is truly unforgivable. Have you forgotten the Inquisition? The burning of "witches"? The Holocaust?
Only when the human race evolves beyond the point of clan-mindedness and group think will we be able to obtain any measure of peace in this world.
Right and wrong cannot be "taught". It is inherent in our biological nature.
This behavior is despicable but no one is burning in Hell. We have to do the right thing because it IS the right thing-not through fear of some post-existential punishment. Wake up, the Dark Ages are over.

[SuziSaul]

Probably some sicko atheist of the variety who criticizes anyone who says they're praying for something on a public comments section.

[democracy8]

Not everyone who does something bad is an atheist. Not everyone who professes to have faith is a good person. Give us a break with your pathetic stereotyping.

[david1159]

democracy8 Your right you don't have to be a atheist to have such a sicko mind as this. What type of person would get their jollies by traumatizing those who are already traumatized?
What I am tired of are those atheists, and you know who you are, who find its time to show this as proof that there is no God. There is a time for righteous indignation but now is not that time. Let those who are suffering hold on their beliefs without you spouting I told you so.