Bomb Threats Close Private Schools Across Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES, CA — Several schools across Los Angeles County were closed or evacuated Monday due to a bomb threat issued to private schools across the country.

The threat and closures affected several Catholic and private school campuses including Damien High School in La Verne, Bishop Amat Memorial High School and schools in Compton, Lancaster and Claremont.

It was not immediately clear how many schools were shut down due to the threat. The threat was sent via email, and it claimed explosives were placed inside the schools.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department confirmed to Patch that its major crimes unit is actively investigating the threat as is the FBI.

The sheriff's department increased its patrols around area schools as a result of the threats.

"The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is aware of the online threats to schools in LA County," the department announced. "LA County Sheriff’s Stations will conduct patrol checks at local schools throughout the day. We will continue to monitor and provide future information as it becomes available."

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said they were working to determine how many local schools were evacuated or shut down due to the threat.

"This morning a few of our Catholic schools along with other non-Catholic schools received a spam email threatening school safety that is similar to an email distributed to schools and institutions in Europe last week that was found to be not credible and meant to cause disruption, panic and fear," Yannina Diaz, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said via email. "The schools that received the email cancelled classes for the day out of an abundance of caution while the matter was being investigated. The Archdiocese is working with law enforcement and there is no evidence of a credible threat at our schools. All Catholic schools in the Archdiocese have been asked to follow our usual safety protocols."

According to a statement from the La Verne Police Department, Damien High School was evacuated and closed for the day on Monday morning "for what has now been determined to be a non-credible threat from overseas.

"Earlier this morning, the La Verne Police Department notified the Bonita Unified School District that Damien High School was being evacuated and closed for the remainder of the day in response to a threat against private schools in the area," police said.

"Following further investigation, the threat appears to have come from overseas and has been deemed not credible by LVPD," police said. "Bonita Unified schools will remain open."

A school in Claremont reportedly also received an unfounded threat Monday, as did Catholic schools in Compton and Lancaster, according to various reports.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.