Church in Newtown, Connecticut, Evacuated After “Credible Threat”

A church in Newtown, Conn., was evacuated after an anonymous threat was phoned in just two days after 27 people, including the shooter, were shot to death at an elementary school.

Connecticut State Police officers walk out of St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church after a threat to the church was received following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 16, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. Mario Tama/Getty Images

A church in Newtown, Conn., was evacuated after an anonymous threat was phoned in just two days after 27 people, including the shooter, were shot to death at a local elementary school.

The St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church was evacuated temporarily after a “credible threat,” reported the Boston Herald, citing Brian Wallace, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Bridgeport. The noontime Mass was evacuated after the pastor heard about the threat, Wallace said.

Soon after the evacuation, the SWAT team was called in and armored cars surrounded the church. The church held three Masses, which were packed after Friday’s deadly incident.

Another church official told Yahoo! News that an unidentified male called the official with a threat, saying, “My friend didn’t finish the job.”

According to the Herald, after SWAT members investigated the building, they did not find any bombs or other threats.

“I don’t understand. I don’t understand,” said one woman, who was evacuated, to The Boston Globe.

Nancy Elis, another parishioner, told The Wall Street Journal, “Is this Newtown? Is this Newtown, Connecticut?” She told The Associated Press that the scene looked like a “war zone.”

Parishioner Anna Wood told the Globe that people remained calm as they left the church.