New Hampshire officials say they're monitoring a series of shooting threats made against local schools Thursday.
The Department of Safety says it believes the threats are part of a hoax similar to another series of false shooting threats against local schools in December, but "all threats will be taken seriously until such time as their validity is determined."
The Lebanon Police Department said it received one call alleging the presence of an active shooter at Lebanon High School around 10:10 a.m. Thursday. According to a notice sent to Lebanon residents, "The threat was determined to be part of a hoax involving several other schools in the state."
"Lebanon Officers, along with the Lebanon School Resource Officer, responded and made the school aware that the threat was deemed not credible," the alert read. "Lebanon Officers maintained a presence on campus to assist with maintaining a safe environment."
Officials in Hanover reported receiving a similar call regarding a threat at Hanover High School around 9:56 a.m. Thursday.
"Hanover Police Officers, operating at an increased vigilance due to the previous hoax calls, responded and communicated with school officials," Hanover Police wrote in a press release. "There was no corroboration of an active, present threat."
Many New Hampshire students are not in the classrooms right now, for school vacation week.
State safety officials say law enforcement agencies are investigating the calls received by schools on Thursday and sharing information with other offices at the state, local and federal level.
"Everyone is encouraged to report any suspicious activity to their local law enforcement agency," the Department of Safety said in a press release.
Schools across the country have been targeted with fake shooting threats in recent months, according to NPR. Just since November, similar incidents have been reported in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.
