ALL Los Angeles Schools Close Due to "Credible Terror Threat"

The threat, which was against "many schools," was received electronically and mentioned backpacks and other packages, Cortines said at a morning news conference. The nature of the threat was "unspecified."

He stated he made the decision to close all campuses after consulting with Los Angeles School Police Department Chief Steven Zipperman and School Board President Steve Zimmer.

Cortines has ordered all schools be thoroughly searched to ensure the grounds were "safe for children."

"I've asked the plant managers to walk the school, and if they see anything that is out of order to contact the police," the superintendent said.

He felt it was important to take the precaution "based on what has happened recently, and what has happened in the past," Cortines said, alluding to the recent mass shooting in San Bernardino, which was being investigated by the FBI as an "act of terrorism."

The Dec. 2 attack at the Inland Regional Center left 14 people dead and 21 others injured.

The threat to LAUSD schools was still being analyzed, according to Zipperman.

“ We have chosen to close our schools today until we can be sure our campuses are safe," he said during the news conference.

LAUSD is the second largest school district in the country, serving more than 640,000 students between kindergarten and 12th grade, according to its website. There are more than 900 schools and 187 public charter schools in the district.

Link

There's not much info right now on why they closed ALL the schools. And they plan to search all 1087 schools!

Here's the news conference from youtube. I'll try to update the OP as more info comes.

They will be holding another news conference at 9:00 am west coast time. Here's a link to a Local News Stream if you want to watch it



UPDATE:

New York City officials say they received the same threat that led to the closure of the Los Angeles school system but quickly concluded that it was a hoax.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday morning that he was "absolutely convinced" there was no danger to schoolchildren in New York.

New York Police Commissioner William Bratton said he thought Los Angeles officials overreacted by deciding to close the nation's second-largest school system.

He said a school superintendent received the threatening email Tuesday morning.

Bratton said the person who wrote the note claimed to be a jihadist but made errors that made it clear the person was a prankster.

WIn for LA Get ready for the copycats to try the same thing.

According to the news brief, they received a credible threat via electronic emissions.

a reply to: twohawks

It was sent to a board member, not specific who.

Here's the Live Stream of News Conference

The new America, an open air prison, "on lockdown". Threat or no threat, they are running the same program they do in prisons. Someone starts a fight or pulls a blade and the sirens sound, the guards come running, everyone, "Get down on the ground and don't move, the whole prison is on Lockdown!" They search the whole place, harass everyone until the 'all clear'. Anyone see the parallel?

Interesting enough to note bomb threats and emergency calls occur all the time that are hoaxes, and oddly enough, the schools are the places being shutdown. The children need the indoctrination the most, they are gullible, unlike adults.

As far as the people in charge, they are playing a child's game. Like little kids arguing who runs the sandbox, or disrupting the game by taking the ball and going home.

This country is being run by adult children. Its our ball and you can't play.

a reply to: ghostrager

Sometimes I wonder how everybody falls for this nonsense.

All the time I wonder actually.

World is a joke.

It could also be a diversion.. get all agencies responding to the huge task of checking schools ..then pull some other attack elsewhere

Closing the schools is the prudent thing to do. I would rather look foolish in the aftermath, than have a bunch of dead and maimed kids, regardless who the perps are, lone wolf or thug gang.

a reply to: intrptr

Kids playing in a sandbox is your analogy? Have you lost touch with reality? They are searching the schools today. It's what they need to do to protect their students and faculty. It's not a sandbox.

I think a credible threat will be when they close the schools and the people that search them while they are closed come upon booby traps set up for them.

Another thing about credible threats is they are not threats unless one feels threatened like almost everyone in this country does.

The only thing that makes me feel threatened are people who feel threatened and latch on to stories like this when this type of thing has very little to do with what truly threatens them.

Fear sells almost as well as sex....

a reply to: zenartist

I was thinking the same thing. Did you see the insane amount of police that responded to a smash and grab burglary at the mall not long after the SB shooting? Half the force must have been there.

Besides, why would any serious terrorist make a "threat", they'd just act on it. Unless of course it's a diversion as you stated.

An electronic threat, at face value, does not sound very credible. Something in the threat itself must have lended credence to credability. I hope this is not a trend, and I am glad that the decision was made to put safety first

a reply to: intrptr

Interesting enough to note bomb threats and emergency calls occur all the time that are hoaxes, and oddly enough, the schools are the places being shutdown.

The threat was regarding schools, no?
What is your point?

As far as the people in charge, they are playing a child's game. Like little kids arguing who runs the sandbox, or disrupting the game by taking the ball and going home.

This makes no sense, in the context of this thread.

Others are right, I believe you've lost touch with reality, bud.

...damned if ya do, damned if ya don't.

originally posted by: zenartist
It could also be a diversion.. get all agencies responding to the huge task of checking schools ..then pull some other attack elsewhere

This is such a possibility it's worrying.

With so much information on this, I'm glad to see that some of you have already determined this is a "non-threat" and isn't credible.

Must be nice to have the world figured out and placed in little tiny boxes inside your heads'.

Sounds like a drill to me, or a social experiment, without explicitly putting that info out.

originally posted by: angeldoll
a reply to: intrptr

Kids playing in a sandbox is your analogy? Have you lost touch with reality? They are searching the schools today. It's what they need to do to protect their students and faculty. It's not a sandbox.

BS They're conditioning kids early to get used to a police state, where at any time they can be accosted by police for any reason.

So it turns out Pres. Obama was right , the biggest threat to our children is Climate change.. The climate has changed

a reply to: intrptr

Whether or not that is true we don't know. When children and our schools are involved it is better to err on the side of caution. I'm glad you are not in charge of any school, anywhere in the world. You obviously don't have children, or good judgment for that matter.

Playing Russian Roulette with children's lives doesn't get it around these parts.

a reply to: Jakal26

The threat was regarding schools, no?
What is your point?

Every terror threat or incident nowadays results in school 'lockdowns'.

a reply to: intrptr

So, I suppose you can offer your alternative solutions now?