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Bradenton man arrested after making bomb threats against school while on campus

Bradenton man arrested after making bomb threats against school while on campus
Posted at 2:32 PM, Feb 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-09 14:32:02-05

A Bradenton man was arrested after police say he made threats of shooting and having a bomb while on the campus of a local Christian school.

Bradenton PD responded at about 8:22 a.m. to Bradenton Christian School, where Jason Wilkinson reportedly had entered the car drop off lane and made threats against the school before leaving.

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An off-duty officer working at the school got his license plate number, and Bradenton PD was able to determine the man's name and address.

Just one day before, Wilkinson had an encounter with law enforcement at which time he was armed.

Detectives linked the vehicle and name to a residence where surveillance video was set up. When the vehicle returned, police arrested Wilkinson without incident.

He is charged with Threat to throw, project, place, or discharge any destructive device and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, both second degree felonies.

Kids as young as preschool age attend school at Bradenton Christian.

While law enforcement was actively searching for the suspect, schools around Manatee County were alerted of the incident. Law enforcement personnel were stationed around schools and extra patrols were conducted during the 2 hour search. The Manatee County School district was made aware of this incident and determination for school lockdowns was left up to them.