UPDATE 11:58 a.m.:
Officials in New York City have now revealed they received the same threat that caused the closure of LAUSD schools, AP reports. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday morning that he was "absolutely convinced" there was no danger to students and school staff in New York, with police adding that Los Angeles officials "overreacted" by choosing to close all of the massive school district’s campuses. The unidentified person who made the threat reportedly claimed to "be a jihadist," but made errors that revealed the work to be that of a purported prank. The threats were also reportedly similar to recent Homeland plot points, further revealing an apparent hoax.
See original story below.
All 1,087 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) have been ordered to close on Tuesday following a "credible threat" to multiple campuses. Though the Los Angeles Times originally reported the threat as allegedly bomb-related, it is now being more thoroughly described by local authorities as involving "backpacks and packages." Authorities are currently planning a search operation involving all LAUSD schools, though details surrounding the source of the threat remain unclear. Tuesday's threat comes less than two weeks after after two attackers fatally shot 14 people in San Bernardino.
The threat was reportedly called in to an unidentified school board member, prompting local officials to request that all staff and students stay away from all campuses. "We need the cooperation of the whole of Los Angeles today," school board President Steve Zimmer said during a press conference, according to AP. "We need families and neighbors to work together with our schools and with our employees to make sure our schools are safe throughout today."
"It is important that I take the precaution based on what has happened recently and what has happened in the past," Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines told reporters during the press conference. "There was not threat made to busses. They were returned because we’re not picking up students."
The LAUSD district counts more than 640,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade with boundaries spreading 720 square miles, Buzzfeed notes. "I think the circumstances in the neighboring San Bernardino, what has happened in the nation [and] what happened internationally," Cortines added, "I as superintendent will not take a chance with the life of a student."
The Los Angeles Police Department and the FBI are currently investigating the threat. Schools are set to remain closed until the threat is cleared, which authorities suggest will happen by the end of the day. No additional details were made immediately available.
This story is developing.
