Threats Made To Schools In Los Angeles & New York City

Update: NBC New York is reporting that New York City schools had received a threat similar to the one that closed Los Angeles schools today, but deemed it to be not credible. The NYPD is investigating the threat as a hoax. Mayor Bill de Blasio said that he was “absolutely convinced our schools are safe,” and that whoever made the threats wanted the school systems to be shut down. The New York City school system is the largest in the country, with over a million students in more than 1,800 schools. Original story below.

Reuters reports that the the Los Angeles Unified School district has been shut down Tuesday morning, as a response to a “credible” terror threat. According to the Los Angeles Times, a bomb threat was called in to a school board member. All schools have been closed, and students and staff are being directed to stay away from campuses. The threats were not made to one specific school. At a press conference after the threats were announced, officials said that the schools were being closed due to an “abundance of caution.” Ramon Cortines, the superintendent of the school district, told the public, “I think it is important that I take the precaution based on what has happened recently and what has happened in the past.” Authorities are planning to search all LAUSD school campuses.

The LAUSD is the nation’s second-largest school district, with more than 900 public schools and 640,000 enrolled students. This is a breaking news story, which will be updated as details emerge.