More than 1,000 schools in Los Angeles have been closed over a "credible terror threat".
The schools have been shut until further notice after a reported bomb threat was made via a phone call to authorities.
The FBI, Los Angeles Police Department and LA Sheriffs are all assisting the school in the investigating a "credible bomb threat," Monica Carazo, spokesman for the LAUSD Superintendent's Office told The Independent.
Officer Wendy Reyes, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman, told The Independent that she was unable to specify the nature of the threat.
"We don't know the specifics or credibility," she said during a phone interview. "The superintendent has elected to close the schools for the day."
“We basically just respond to emergency calls that require immediate response. We are in high visibility especially around the schools.”
Later, LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines told the press that the threat was made to "not one school, two schools or three schools — it was many schools" and that he wants each of his buildings searched immediately.
"I want them searched and a report made to me and the board of education that it is safe," he said during a televised press conference. "I can't take a chance, and all schools I've asked to be searched today. Staff will work systematically searching all schools, divided into six districts."
“This is a rare threat, we get threats all the time. I think the circumstances in the neighboring San Bernardino, what has happened in the nation, what happened internationally, I as superintendent will not take the chance with the life of a student,” he said. "We do get individual threats, we do evacuate schools, we do lockdown schools and do not release students until we notify parents. What we are doing today is no different than what we always do but we’re doing this in a mass way."
It remained unclear whether the bomb threat was indeed credible. About an hour after Mr Cortines' press conference, Reuters news agency reported that an LAUSD spokesman said the threat came from an email associated with an IP address in Frankfurt, Germany.
Still, LAUSD elementary school teacher Anna Maria Kochakji told The Independent that regardless of whether the threat was credible, she supported Mr Cortines' safety measures, especially following the San Bernardino attack early this month that left 14 dead and more than 20 wounded.
Early Tuesday, Ms Kochakji was informed via text to stay home, but only found out about the bomb threat after turning on the news. While she waits for her school to reopen, Ms Kochakji hopes to find out "what professional psychologists are recommending in terms of what to tell students. Some kids will be informing other children and that's not the best way for kids to hear things."
"This is really something we need to address as a school system as well: How do we prepare the children without making them fearful? That's a question adults need to address themselves too: How to prepare for emergencies without being consumed by the fear or terror," Ms Kochakji said.
LAUSD currently enrolls more than 640,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. More than 900 schools and 187 public charter schools are the disctrict.
Linda Zintz, communications director at San Diego Unified School District, said that his schools would remain open amid the cancellations.
"Our School Police are closely monitoring the events in Los Angeles. They are in communication with LAPD and SDPD," she said, according to NBC News. "There have been no threats to San Diego. As a precaution, SDPD will assist our School Police with extra patrols to our schools throughout the school day."
