Schools in Bridgeport, Conn. were dismissed early on Thursday and will remain closed on Friday due to threats of violence circulating on social media, a district spokesperson said.
The announcement comes a day after a message shared on social media that threatened to harm “several schools in our district” went viral and prompted school officials to announce a two-hour delayed opening on Thursday.
The threat also led to an increased police presence at the schools and the cancellation of all outdoor activities.
A juvenile believed to have made the threats was arrested late Wednesday night, Bridgeport Police said in a news release. No information about the suspect or the charges were immediately available.
Stacy Graham-Hunt, the district’s director of communications, said in an email sent to parents and students Thursday morning that following “additional threats circulating online” there would “be early dismissal today and no school tomorrow,” the Connecticut Post reported.
While Graham-Hunt didn’t provide any details on the new threats, she noted the decision had been made “out of an abundance of caution.”
Classes in neighboring Ansonia were also canceled on Thursday “after a threat to the Ansonia Public Schools [was] posted on social media,” according to police.
A 13-year-old girl who was interviewed by law enforcement has confessed to writing that post. She was arrested and referred to juvenile court for first-degree threatening and second-degree breach of peace.
Ansonia Public Schools will resume a regular schedule of classes on Friday, officials said.
