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D.C. schools locked down after bomb threats

Authorities deem it a 'low-risk' situation



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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Public schools in the nation's capital were locked down Friday for a security sweep after a bomb threat, said police and a spokesman for the District of Columbia school system.

The threat was not specific, and the search was broadened to include private and religious schools, as well as universities and colleges, police said.

Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Joe Gentile said that shortly before 6 a.m. an operator-assisted call came in that indicated there were five bombs in five schools, and that they had to be found before noon.

Operator-assisted calls can include facilitated "TTY" or teletype calls, as well as electronic messages such as fax, internet-relay and e-mail messages that are handled by a third party.

A D.C. public school spokeswoman, Prenell Neely, told CNN that so far "no evidence of any bombs has been found" and that "students are in their classes" under a security system described as "shelter in place."

Neely said police guidance deemed this a "low-risk" incident, and authorities permitted students to walk through corridors of the schools. No evacuations were ordered among the nearly 165 elementary, middle, junior high, charter and high schools in the Washington public school system.

A CNN producer visited the private Gonzaga High School in Washington and found little sign of a security alert. A police officer arrived at the school, chatted outside with school administrative and security officials, and then left.

Some law enforcement officials point out there is typically an increase in bomb threats regarding schools every spring.

D.C. city police said they had an explosive ordnance unit on standby, and that offers of help came from U.S. Capitol Police and the U.S. Park Police. Authorities are also working with the Joint Terrorism Task Force as an investigation of the incident continues.


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