LEBANON — Lebanon Middle School and Stevens High School in Claremont are among the New Hampshire schools to receive active shooter threats on Thursday, according to police.
The threats are believed to be hoaxes, the New Hampshire Department of Safety said in a news release, which noted that there also were reports of similar hoaxes elsewhere in the country.
The Lebanon Police Department received a report of an active shooter at the Lebanon Middle School at 10:25 a.m. on Thursday, according to a department news release. Lebanon officers responded to the school and found no unusual activity or threat. It has been confirmed to be a hoax, but Lebanon Police said they would “have an increased presence throughout the day at all Lebanon Schools to ensure they are safe and secure.”
Meanwhile, Claremont police responded to a report of an active shooter at Stevens High School on Thursday morning, according to a post to the department’s Facebook page. The school went into lockdown at 10:15 a.m. while Claremont police officers, New Hampshire State troopers and Sullivan County deputy sheriffs conducted a search, according to a message the school district sent to families. The lockdown was lifted by 10:32 a.m. when authorities had determined that no threat existed.
The New Hampshire Department of Education sent out a release Thursday reassuring education officials that law enforcement agencies were monitoring the situation.
“We know that safety is the top priority at all New Hampshire schools,” the statement said. “With that in mind, we are asking you and your administrators to do what is in the best interest of your schools, but also understand that everything is being done by the New Hampshire Information Analysis Center to keep us updated. At this time, we do not wish to create additional disruptions to our school facilities, knowing that these reports are believed to be a hoax.”
Investigations of the threats by local and state officials were ongoing as of early Thursday afternoon.