Church bomb threat brings even more terror to Newtown

The church close to where President Obama is due to attend a memorial service for the victims of the Newtown school massacre was evacuated during noon mass today after St Rose of Lima received a bomb threat.

Police and heavily armed Connecticut state troopers hurriedly entered the Catholic church that has become a center of grieving since the deaths of 20 children and six adults at the nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School.

In a community already on edge following the horrific tragedy on Friday, tensions were raised at the sight of nearly a dozen camouflage-clad SWAT team members carrying assault weapons who the church and a nearby educational center.

Lookout: A heavily-armed state trooper prepares to enter a religious center adjacent to the church

Guns blazing: A Newtown police officer stands behind a tree with his gun drawn during the bomb threat investigation

With their guns drawn, police shouted to members of the public to stand back and take cover while they secured the building.

After keeping the public and media at bay for more than an hour, the police seemed to relax their posture and at around 1.30pm they were allowing people to lay flowers an candles at a makeshift memorial.

Evelyn Leon, 17, of Waterbury, 20 miles east of Newtown, said she was sitting in the back of the church with her family when word came to leave the church.

'Word filtered back through the pews that there had been a threat made and we had to get into our cars and evacuate,' she said.

Threat: A police officer keeps a hand on his gun as the unspecified threat at St Rose of Lima Church in Newtown

Possible threat: Heavily-armed state troopers were seen entering the church, as well as an educational center nearby

Paying their respects: Candles and makeshift memorials have been placed on the grounds of the church, pictured in the background, since the school shooting on Friday

'Everybody was just rushing out. People just didn't know what do.'

President Obama will be at the church at 7pm for a memorial service for the 20 first graders and six adults killed in Friday's gun rampage at the elementary school by Adam Lanza, who also killed himself and his mother.

The church has been a source of solace for many in the small town still coming to grips with Friday's tragedy.

It was the scene of an emotional candlelight vigil on Friday night, and a place where mouers have continuously stopped to reflect and pray.

Remembering: The church has been a source of solace for many in the small town still coming to grips with Friday's tragedy

Place of mouing: Newtown residents flocked to the church on Friday night for a candlelight vigil held hours after the massacre

Police officers have also been seen at the church, praying and paying their respects to the lives that were lost