FBI warns of suspicious men trying to get into Mass. schools without authorization

The FBI recently issued a warning after multiple reports of suspicious men trying to get into Massachusetts schools without authorization.

Thomas Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, said in an email Thursday that his office received a call from the Boston office of the FBI last week saying there had been several "unusual and suspicious events" over the past two weeks where men with similar profiles have been intercepted either attempting to get into schools and in one instance actually entering a school building late in the day and taking pictures.

He said in each event, when confronted, the individuals had no good reason for his presence. One claimed he was with Verizon, but the company said they had no one scheduled to be there, and another said he was trying to get into the building in order to charge his phone.

“These were individuals who were giving false information to school authorities about why they were present on the school campus,” Scott said.

He said while their motives remain unclear, it’s important to err on the side of caution.

“I got several superintendents who responded to me and said I had a similar situation that occurred to me in my district,” Scott said. “I shared that back with the FBI.”

Scott said the FBI has issued an alert to all local police chiefs and have alerted schools to be vigilant and ensure proper security measures are in place.

Lowell police said three people tried unsuccessfully to enter two different elementary schools in the city on Tuesday.

Lowell Public Schools said all buildings are locked and visitors must be buzzed in by staff, through a doorbell that is equipped with video surveillance.

The district requires proper identification and a legitimate reason to enter any school building. They said they had been made aware of similar incidents in other districts throughout the Commonwealth, and as a result, they were extra diligent with door safety protocols.

"Three unauthorized individuals were denied entry at two schools by school staff members who followed established protocol. We take these incidents very seriously and immediately reported them to the Lowell Police Department, which is actively investigating these matters while increasing patrols of the schools," the district wrote in a letter to parents on Tuesday.

Police said the unwanted visitors left the area without incident.

“It’s scary to know that your child’s in there and someone’s trying to get in,” said Adriana Veiga, a parent of a Lowell first grader.

John Fraher, another Lowell parent of an elementary school student, said, “Your mind immediately races to, 'Oh my God, is there going to be shooting? It's going to be something terrible or some sort of crazy?'”

The Lowell school district was already on high alert after receiving information about similar thwarted attempts at other schools across the state.

Woburn Public Schools said they experienced an incident where a man attempted to enter the Goodyear Elementary School back on Nov. 9, saying he needed to charge his cell phone. The man was denied entry, and police were notified immediately and the school community was also alerted to the incident.

Needham schools said they recently experienced a similar incident, but the individual was identified as a local resident who works for a business in town and it was not related to the incidents the FBI is referring to.

"He was spoken to about walking through the school during OFF HOURS when school was NOT IN SESSION," the district said in a statement.

FBI spokeswoman Kristen Setera said in an email that the agency's standard practice is "to not comment on specific intelligence products." She said the FBI does routinely share information "to assist law enforcement in protecting the communities they serve" and urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police.