Very Credible Bomb Threat that shuts every Los Angeles schools was a 'hoax' - 700,000 students missed school

LOS ANGELES — The nation's second-largest school system canceled classes across the city Tuesday after receiving emailed threats, while New York City deemed a similar threat a "hoax" and kept schools open.

New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton said a generic email threat was sent to multiple school officials in Los Angeles, New York and possibly other districts across the nation. He said the threat appeared to originate abroad and probably was not "the usual prank of a student not wanting to take an exam."

In Los Angeles, schools Superintendent Ramon Cortines said he was told about a threat "to not one school, but to many schools in this school district." He said the "credible threat" involved backpacks and other packages but provided few details. He said he wanted every school searched by day's end so that schools could reopen Wednesday.

The Los Angeles Unified School District is the second largest in the nation and enrolls more than 640,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, according to its website. More than 900 schools and 187 public charter schools are in a district sprawled across 720 square miles.

Cortines said the district gets threats "all the time," and sometimes these result in lockdowns and precautions. He said recent events in San Bernardino and elsewhere elevated this threat.

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