Los Angeles schools closed due to ‘credible terror threat’

All schools in the the Los Angeles Unified School District will be closed today after officials received what they called a “credible terror threat.”

During a news conference this morning, LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines said that the electronic threat was against “many schools,” reports KTLA. The threat involved backpacks and other packages. He has ordered that every school be searched.

The decision to close every school came after he spoke with Los Angeles School Police Department Chief Steven Zipperman and School Board Steve Zimmer. Zipperman confirmed that the LAPD and FBI are also on the investigation into the threat.

“I think it’s important to take this precaution based on what has happened recently and what has happened in the past,” Cortines said, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The LAUSD includes over 900 schools and over 700,000 students.

This comes just two weeks after the shooting in San Bernardino, California, in which 14 people were killed by a couple. The shooting was the deadliest terror attack in the U.S. since 9/11.

“We need to cooperation of the whole of Los Angeles today,” Zimmer said, notes The Associated Press. “We need families and neighbors to work together with our schools and with our employees to make sure our schools are safe throughout today.”