Bomb Threats at 4 Utica-Area Schools on Oct. 21: All Cleared, FBI Helping Investigate
Two of the schools are in Utica and two are in the Town of Whitestown. Investigators are still working to find out whether the caller is local.

Anonymous phone calls threatened four Oneida County schools on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 21. All four were searched and cleared, and no one was hurt, the Daily Sentinel reported.
The schools:
- Hughes Elementary, Utica
- Notre Dame Elementary, Utica
- Hart's Hill Elementary, Whitesboro
- Tilton School at the House of the Good Shepherd, Whitestown
Some buildings were locked down and others evacuated while K9 teams searched. At Hart's Hill, the call came in around 11:20 a.m. Students were back in class by about 12:50 p.m., and dismissal was on time, WKTV reported.
Utica police said the calls appear to come from the same caller. County agencies and the FBI are working to trace them. As of Oct. 22 no one had been identified.
For parents: During a lockdown, districts ask families not to come to the school. Watch your district's texts and emails for pickup instructions.
More around Utica
Latest news
- UticaCNY Hackathon Brings College Cyber Teams to MVCC in Utica for 14th Year
- UticaMVCC Hall of Fame 2026: George Searles, Elin Cormican and Jennifer Krohn Inducted
- RomeRome's License Plate Reader Cameras Are City-Run, Not Flock: 12 Readers, 90-Day Data Limit
Coming up
- Utica· FreeVictorian Groove-tide: Munson's '60s Holiday Show at Fountain Elms in Utica, Nov. 13–Jan. 3
- Utica· Coach: $55 adults, $50 seniors, $45 military, $40 children. Diamond Class: $135–$150Adirondack Christmas Train From Utica to Old Forge: Nov. 27–29, 2026
- Rome· Shopping $5; opening gala $30 ($25 each for two or more); Ladies Night $15Holiday House 2026 at the Carpenter Center in Rome, Nov. 13–22: Gala, Ladies Night & Weekend Shopping