Suspected explosive device located near North Lenoir High School

LA GRANGE — An investigation into a larceny of an ATV turned up what is believed to be an explosive device near North Lenoir High School.

The Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office started an investigation Saturday concerning the larceny of an ATV from North Lenoir.

A Sunday press release stated during the investigation, the ATV was found down the road from North Lenoir. While searching the area for a suspect, deputies located an abandoned vehicle in a field just down from the location of the ATV.

While looking into the window of the vehicle, the deputy saw a suspected homemade explosive device in the vehicle. Deputies immediately closed off the area and requested assistance from the State Bureau of Investigation bomb squad, with agents responding and rendering the device safe.

Due to the close proximity to North Lenoir High School and other evidence showing the suspect was on the campus of the school, the Sheriff’s Office immediately locked down the school property to perform a complete search of the school with assistance of the NCSBI Bomb Squad and NCSBI Agents. That lockdown of the property continues at this time while a search is being conducted.

“We take the safety of our schools and our children as one of our highest priorities, and we have spared no expense to have plenty of manpower and equipment searching the school to locate any piece of evidence or other suspicious packages at the school,” Lenoir County Sheriff Ronnie Ingram said. “We are not taking any chances with the safety of our school students or school staff.”

The sheriff said the search of the school will continue until every bus, classroom, hall and other building has been searched by law enforcement. The Sheriff’s Office and NCSBI are still investigating to identity the suspect.

At this time, no arrest has been made in the case.