BERLIN – On April 7 at 8:40 a.m. Troopers of the Maryland State Police – Berlin Barrack were notified of a possible bomb threat to the Showell Elementary School. The school was immediately notified of the situation. After a search of the grounds nothing suspicious was found. 

After completing the search of the school the investigation continued into the origin of the threat. Based on a multi-jurisdictional search for evidence into the case, a suspect was developed. Warrants were issued and on April 8 with assistance of the Delaware State Police – Troop 5, the suspect, Patrick Earl McCready 23, of Mardela Springs, was located in Bridgeville, Del., and taken into custody.

McCready was to be held on local charges in Delaware and will be returned to Maryland upon completion of an extradition hearing.

On April 7 school administration and Board of Education members made the precautionary decision to immediately evacuate the school of students and personnel. Approximately 550 students from pre-kindergarten through third grade were evacuated without incident.

Detectives from the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation along with Troopers from the Maryland State Police, Deputies from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and Deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to the elementary school. 

Included in the response was a bomb detection dog, Gary, and his handler Deputy First Class Jeff Heath of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department. The interior and exterior of the building was searched with nothing suspicious nor threatening located. The search took approximately two hours to complete.

McCready is being sought on additional charges/warrants in Maryland through the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office (assault in the second degree), Worcester County Sheriff’s Office (violation of exparte, harassment and telephone misuse), Maryland State Police (false statement – destructive device, arson/threat, school disturb operations).