Multiple Twin Cities schools were on lockdown Wednesday following reported threats made over e-mail and social networking sites.
A Minneapolis Public Schools spokesperson told Channel 5 Eyewitness News that all of the districts schools were on lockdown due to a threat made on social networking sites.
Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul was also under lockdown, the Star Tribune reports, following an e-mail threat.
Minneapolis Schools spokeswoman Emily Lowther tells the Star Tribune that a threat was posted on two social networking sites but did not name a specific school, which is why the entire district was locked down.
Minnesota Public Radio reports that a St. Paul elementary school was also locked down because of its proximity to Cretin-Derham Hall. St. Paul Police Sgt. Paul Schnell tells MPR that the threat suggested a shooting would happen in or near the high school.
KARE 11's Matt Lechner reported via Twitter that the threatening e-mail was sent at 8 a.m. and said the shooting would happen in 45 minutes.
Minneapolis Schools spokesman Stan Alleyne said in an interview with BringMeTheNews.com that parents were notified about the situation around 10 a.m. Wednesday morning via the districts automated phone system.
The message, received by about 33,000 households, informed families that all schools in the district were under a "Code Yellow" lockdown. Alleyne said they were aware of several rumors spreading.
"We wanted to reassure them that things were OK and that we were doing this as a precautionary measure," Alleyne said. "We wanted to err on the side of caution."
Alleyne said the buildings are secure and it is not necessary for parents to pick up students. He said the lockdown will be in place for at least the remainder of the day, and that district officials will continue to reassess the situation with police.
