Concord School District Warned About ‘Vague Social Media’ Threats

CONCORD, NH — The Concord School District warned parents on Thursday of possible school threats for Friday based on vague social media postings discovered by state officials.

Specific information, about the nature or tenor of the threats, is limited at post time. However, Kathleen Murphy, the school superintendent for SAU 8, informed parents via email the New Hampshire Department of Education had let the district know about possible threats discovered by the New Hampshire Information and Analysis Center. The nature of the threats was “vague social media postings (online messaging) that are calling for possible school threats” on Friday.

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“I have reached out to Chief (Bradley) Osgood from Concord Police Department and discussed the matter with him,” she said. “In addition, I have sent the notice from NH IAC to each of the school principals to heighten their level of awareness.”

The information and analysis center is a cooperative effort between the state’s department of safety, homeland security and emergency management, and state police. It often alerts the news media about missing person cases and other hazards, crimes, and information.

Murphy said the information and analysis center was not aware of any “credible threats pertaining to any specific school or locations,” but she was still letting parents know anyway, in an effort to be transparent.

“The very last thing the district wants to do is create more anxiety than everyone is experiencing now,” she added, “but I want to keep you informed should you hear rumors even though there is no specific information indicating that the online messages constitute a credible threat or is directed at our schools or community.”

The information and analysis center is asking anyone who may have seen or found threats or knows of any issues to contact local police departments or 911.

Vague or legitimate school threats are not anything new.

At the Rundlett Middle School in May a threat post on Instagram against the school was not deemed to be credible later. Concord High School also received a threat on Snapchat in 2018 with the likeness of Nikolas Cruz, the Parkland school shooter who murdered 17 people. In 2017, a number of schools across New Hampshire were hit by various threats including bombing and shooting threats. In December 2015, Concord High School officials found a threat scrawled on a bathroom wall. Another threat was reported in March 2016. A few months later, the Bow High School was evacuated due to a bomb threat while Portsmouth High School also received a threat. Bomb threats were reported in Keene and Nashua. A couple of days later, more threats were reported in Manchester, Pembroke, and Portsmouth. In December 2016, Oyster River High School was placed in lockdown, and classes were dismissed after a threat was found on a bathroom wall. Numerous threats during the past few years have also been reported at Pembroke Academy, including bomb threats and lockdowns. Officials have also been training in that community to be prepared for potential threats.

There have been upticks in incidents recently including several in Massachusetts during the past week.

Worcester, MA, officials reported a threat on Wednesday while nearby Milford, MA, school officials reported a student making an “ambiguous” threat. Three other threats on Snapchat were reported at the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School while a Dighton Middle School student was investigated for making "threatening gestures" while outside of school. Another Snapchat threat, a school shooting mention, was made in the Wrentham, MA, school district, too. Norwood, MA, school officials also confirmed two threats of violence in the schools during the previous two weeks. A middle school student also made a threat on Cape Cod on Thursday. All of the threats were after a recent mass shooting at a high school in Michigan which has put school officials on edge. After that incident, in Salem, MA, school officials enhanced security at the school.

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