Massachusetts schools face series of school shooting threats: ‘Concerning and unsettling’

Local school districts have been facing a series of non-credible school shooting threats, as police investigate these “concerning and unsettling” reports at the start of the school year.

These threats across the region come in the wake of the mass school shooting in Georgia.

Newburyport Police is one of the local departments investigating a threat after they were alerted to a possible threat on Snapchat about a student bringing a gun to school.

Police investigators, with the help of the Massachusetts State Police Fusion Center and the FBI, determined that the source of the threat was not a student in Newburyport schools. Investigators also concluded that it was a non-credible threat.

“The Newburyport Police Department understands that these types of reports are concerning and unsettling,” police said in a statement on Tuesday. “Police were present in and around the schools this morning, as they will continue to be every day.”

This incident remains under investigation by the Newburyport Police Department.

“I am extremely grateful for the diligence and expediency of our investigators in determining the source of this threat,” said Police Lt. Matt Simons. “The safety of our schools remains a paramount priority and our presence in the schools will be commonplace each day throughout the year.”

Meanwhile in Billerica, police were alerted Monday night by Billerica Public Schools of a threat made on social media against the police department.

Police identified the individual who made the threats as a Billerica Memorial High School student, and they determined that the threat was not credible.

There was an increased police presence at all Billerica schools on Tuesday out of an abundance of caution, police said.

The incident remains under investigation by the Billerica Police Department. Police said they will continue to work in collaboration with the school district to “identify subsequent action needed to appropriately address the student’s behavior,” police said.

“I would like to acknowledge the school district and school community for alerting us to this online threat,” said Police Chief Roy Frost. “The safety of our community and of our department members is our top priority and we take threats such as these extremely seriously.”

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In West Bridgewater, police investigated a series of prank phone calls that made threats against schools on Monday.

Students on a bus from the Howard and Spring Street schools were reportedly making calls to local businesses, pretending they were present at a school shooting. The students used sounds from an app to mimic gunfire, police said. The students then allegedly threatened violence toward a school.

West Bridgewater school officials notified the school resource officer, who then alerted the police department. Police interviewed the students on the bus and later at home with their parents. Based on the interviews, police determined that the threats were not credible.

Police had an increased presence at the schools on Tuesday out of an abundance of caution, police said.

Waltham Police has been investigating an online threat directed at McDevitt Middle School from over the weekend.

Police identified the source of the threat as a student from Waltham, and determined that it was a non-credible threat. The investigation is still active and charges are pending.

Police said they will continue to have increased patrols around all Waltham schools throughout the rest of the week as a precaution.

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