The entire city of LA was sent into a panic today, after authorities shut down all LA public schools following an electronic threat.
Steven Zipperman, chief of school police in Los Angeles spoke in a press conference this morning, explaining:
“This is a rare threat — we get threats all the time.
“I think the circumstances in the neighboring San Bernardino, what has happened in the nation, what happened internationally, I as superintendent will not take the chance with the life of a student.”
It is thought the closure could have affected up to 640,000 children after an email was sent to parents following the threat.
LA-based mum and journalist Britni Danielle told Buzzfeed her email read:
"THERE IS A LEVEL 1 TERRORIST THREAT. Due to this, all LAUSD schools are closed including CPA. Please do not come to the school or send your child. ALL SCHOOLS IN LAUSD including traditional and Charter are closed. A statement will be released before the end of the day.”
However not long after the decision was made to close all schools, New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton branded it an ‘overreaction’, revealing that they had in fact received the same email.
“This is not a credible threat,” De Blasio explained, branding the threat ‘generic and outlandish’, before concluding:
“I think it was a significant overreaction”.
But mum and former LA-based teacher understands the thinking behind the decision, adding:
“While I’m concerned that this will only further encourage people looking to cause terror, or embolden political leaders who already use problematic rhetoric about terrorism (and cause us to overreact to that rhetoric), as a parent I understand, and appreciate, the district’s cautionary step”.