NYPD Deems Threat That Closed LA Schools a Hoax

New York City officials said they received the same bomb threat that prompted the closure of the Los Angeles school system but concluded that it was a hoax. 

At a Tuesday morning press conference, New York Police Commissioner William Bratton said he thought Los Angeles officials overreacted by closing the nation's second-largest school system. And Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was "absolutely convinced" there was no danger to schoolchildren in New York City. In fact, he said, there was an obligation to stay open.

"The assumption of the NYPD and the assumption of the Department of Education were immediately exactly the same, that in fact it would be a huge disservice to the nation to close down our school system," he said.

Police determined the email threat was hoax in part because it was sent to multiple locations, and that the name Allah was not capitalized which would have been considered an offense to someone who was observant. 

The Associated Press reports that the email warned that every school in the city would be attacked with pressure cooker bombs, nerve gas agents, machine pistols and machine guns. The writer claimed to be a student at a district high school who had been bullied, and claimed "138 comrades" would carry out the attack.

"The students at every school in the New York City school district will be massacred, mercilessly. And there is nothing you can do to stop it," the email reportedly said, according to the AP who received access to the document from a law enforcement official. The official wasn't authorized to disclose details of an ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Bratton said the investigation was ongoing.

“We are working closely with the NYPD and there is no reason for alarm," said Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña in a written statement. "As always, the safety of our students and staff both in and around schools is our number one concern and any extra needed security measures will be taken.”

New York City parents had a mix of reactions as the news spread. Tavika Kersey said she would have kept her daughter home from her Bronx middle school if she had heard the news earlier in the day. 

"Any type of threat like that you shouldn't take lightly because of spelling. That's just ridiculous," she said, adding she wanted to know more about the NYPD's protocols for threats to the public schools.

With reporting from The Associated Press