A social media threat is circulating about local schools, which St. Paul police said they don’t believe is credible.
The threat led two charter schools in St. Paul to close on Thursday. Community School of Excellence and HOPE Community Academy both posted on social media that they made the decision to close “to ensure the safety of all students and staff.”
St. Paul Public Schools are open. The district was “made aware of nationwide rumors circulating within our school communities, alleging possible violence at schools throughout Minnesota and the Twin Cities,” the district said in a Wednesday night letter to parents. “The information is spreading through social media, primarily on TikTok and Snapchat.”
Investigators have been working with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and St. Paul Public Schools security, said Sgt. Mike Ernster, a St. Paul Police spokesman.
“We will continue to monitor and work with our law enforcement partners,” he said. “We are prepared to take steps, if needed, to make sure the children in our schools remain safe.”
Hmong College Prep Academy, a charter school in St. Paul, is open Thursday, writing to parents they’ve have “a police presence on campus as an extra precaution.”
Many of the messages being shared on social media are copied from posts outside the SPPS district, according to the district’s letter.
The district said they take “every alleged threat seriously. We work closely with our local, state and national law enforcement partners to evaluate every threat. We do not believe that this threat is credible, and there is currently no danger to any SPPS campus.”
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