New Hampshire authorities say multiple threats of active shooters received at schools across the state Thursday have been determined to be hoaxes.
Multiple state agencies and local law enforcement responded to the calls on Thursday morning. The New Hampshire Department of Safety said Thursday afternoon that the calls, which were all similar in nature, had been determined to be a hoax.
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“Today’s incident highlighted the effectiveness of communication and collaboration between my office, the Department of Safety and the New Hampshire Education Department, as well as local agencies,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement. “We continue to make the safety of New Hampshire’s schools a top priority.”
The New Hampshire Department of Safety said it is working with local, state and federal law enforcement partners, including the FBI, to identify the source of the calls.
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“Today we saw schools using their emergency operation plans to respond to the calls,” Robert Buxton, director of the Department of Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said in a statement. “These incidents continue to show us why it is important for schools to conduct trainings and exercises on those plans, throughout the school year, in partnership with their local first responders.”
The state Department of Education also released a statement on the threats:
"We are kindly asking school leaders to be alert and cognizant, but to also understand that local law enforcement agencies are aware of the situation and monitoring it closely. We know that safety is the top priority at all New Hampshire schools. With that in mind, we are asking you and your administrators to do what is in the best interest of your schools, but also understand that everything is being done by the New Hampshire Information Analysis Center to keep us updated."
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Lebanon police also issued a statement saying they received a call at 10:25 a.m. reporting an active shooter at the Lebanon Middle School, which was confirmed to be a hoax after police responded to the school and found no unusual activity or threat. They said the incident remains under investigation and they will have an increased police presence at all Lebanon schools throughout the day.
New Hampshire officials said similar calls were reported in other parts of the country as well.
No other details were immediately available.
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