(Updated at 10:30 p.m.) Police responded to a bomb threat at an Arlington synagogue tonight.
Arlington County police were dispatched to Congregation Etz Hayim, along Route 50 in the Arlington Heights neighborhood, around 5:30 p.m. Initial reports suggest that someone texted a crisis hotline that they had placed a bomb at the synagogue and were also planning to stab people inside.
No bomb was found nor did any acts of violence occur, ACPD told ARLnow.
From a police spokeswoman:
At approximately 5:25 p.m. on November 17, police were dispatched to the 2900 block of Arlington Boulevard for the report of suspicious circumstances. The preliminary investigation indicates the suspect contacted a crisis hotline and allegedly made threats to bomb a house of worship. Responding officers made contact with the occupants of the property and searched the area and no evidence of a crime was located. The investigation is ongoing.
The threat comes at a time of rising antisemitism amid the Israel-Hamas war.
A tipster tells ARLnow that the threat was made during the congregation’s “Tot Shabbat” service.
“This service is aimed at kids under 6 and their families, and it is sponsored in memory of a stillborn baby,” the tipster said.
