Police: Suspicious package outside Charles Co. school was a feral cat shelter

WALDORF, Md. — A report of a suspicious package forced one Charles County Elementary School to close Tuesday.

The package was located outside of Berry Elementary and Mattawoman Middle Schools around 8:45am.

Members of the Maryland State Police Bomb Squad determined the package was an empty feral cat shelter made from a plastic cooler.

All students and staff who were at Mattawoman Middle during the investigation remained safe inside the building throughout the entire investigation.

The school day at Mattawoman has continued on as scheduled and will dismiss at regular time.

Meanwhile Berry Elementary is closed for the day.

Students who took the bus and were headed there at the time of the incident were rerouted to Westlake High School on Middletown Road in Waldorf.