LA schools closed by US police over 'credible terror threat'

The terror threat was later deemed to be hoax
Terror threat: schools are closed until further notice
Splash News
Hannah Al-Othman15 December 2015

Police shut all schools in Los Angeles today after education authorities received a “credible terror threat.”

The schools were shut until further notice after a bomb threat was sent via an electronic message to a member of the city's school board.

Ramon Cortines, Los Angeles Unified School DistrictSuperintendent, told a press conference he had made the decision based on recent events.

The threat comes weeks after a pair of husband-and-wife terrorists opened fire at a Christmas party in San Bernadito, California, leaving more than a dozen dead, and just a month after the Paris attacks, which saw jihadi militants kill 130 in a series of coordinated attacks across the city.

Mr Cortines said: "I think it is important that I take the precaution based on what has happened recently and what has happened in the past.

"Before the day is over, I want every school to be searched to make sure that it is safe for children and safe for staff to be there on Wednesday."

Mr Cortines said that the threat was made against students at "many schools," but the individual establishments were not specifically identified, adding that the message had mentioned backpacks and other packages.

He called for all schools to be searched Tuesday to ensure they were safe for students to return to on Wednesday.

About 700,000 students have been affected by the closure.

Officials in New York City said they had received the same threat that closed LA schools, but had decided it was a hoax.

Investigation: police are looking into the source of the threat
Splash News

LAUSD School Board President Steve Zimmer added: "We are taking this action in an abundance of caution to make sure that every child in L.A. Unified School District, every employee is absolutely safe.

"Right now, we ask parents, families, if you have not yet sent your children to school, do not send them to school."

Education authorities said the email had been sent from an IP address in Frankfurt Germany, and that the L.A. School Police Department, the LAPD and the FBI had all been notified of the threat, which is being investigated.

Congressman Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence committee, later said the Los Angeles email was also deemed to be a hoax.

However, education authorities in the city defended their decision to close more than 900 schools, saying the safety of children was paramount.

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