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Southwest flight diverted, along with 3 other bomb scares nationwide

Posted at 7:23 PM, Jun 11, 2013
and last updated 2013-06-12 01:03:25-04

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR)--Three bomb threats were made across the nation within twenty-four hours, in addition to the local threat which evacuated Richmond International Airport.

Princeton University’s campus was evacuated after a bomb threat was phoned in to the school just before 10:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Employees at the Ivy League school were told to leave the campus and not to return until they heard otherwise.

No classes were in session, but the school says there are some summer programs on campus.

A Southwest flight from Los Angeles, headed to Austin Texas was grounded at about the halfway mark. The flight was escorted to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after a bomb threat was made while it was in the air Monday. The plane didn't arrive at its destination until Tuesday.

All 143 people were ushered to a secure area where they were interviewed and the plane was searched.

Authorities don't know who called in the threat, and they are still investigating.

Also, Georgia authorities are investigating a pair of bomb threats near the state capitol.

Authorities have not released any specific information on the threats. Buildings that house the state Attorney General and state Supreme Court were evacuated.

Bomb sniffing dogs searched the area and did not find any explosives.

Workers and passengers were allowed back into Richmond International Airport (RIC) about 9:30 Tuesday morning after police dogs found no threats. The airport was evacuated and search conducted after a phoned-in threat earlier in the morning.

An airport incident in Atlanta was not terrorist related but led to an evacuation. A blast occurred at a maintenance shed at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta on Tuesday morning, and a concourse had to be evacuated, a fire department spokeswoman said.