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Active shooter threats believed to be false were reported at schools across Maine Tuesday morning, according to the state Department of Public Safety.
“The Department of Public Safety is aware of multiple active shooter threats that have occurred at schools across the state. The Maine State Police is assisting local law enforcement agencies in these preliminary investigations,” a department representative said in an email.
“These reports are now believed to be false. The Maine Information Analysis Center (MIAC) has been heavily involved in coordinating these investigations,” the statement continued.
The FBI confirmed it was monitoring the situation, but had “no information to indicate a specific and credible threat.”
Gov. Janet Mills is also monitoring the situation, her office said. “She was thankful that everyone was safe, and she is grateful to law enforcement for their quick response to the situation,” the statement said.
Police in Portland confirmed the school was on lockdown after investigating a call of an active shooter at Portland High School, but staff reported no shooting.
The lockdown was lifted after hours.
There are also reports of a heavy police presence at Sanford High School in southern Maine. According to the Portland Press Herald, Sanford’s school department sent a message to parents saying the threat was not believed to be credible.
Swarms of fake shooting reports, sometimes called “swattings,” have been made around the country in recent years because SWAT teams are called out. Last month, approximately 17 Connecticut schools received unsubstantiated active shooter threats in one morning.
Tuesday’s report of a school shooting comes days after three University of Virginia students were killed and two others wounded when a bus full of students returned from a field trip was shot.
A manhunt following Sunday’s shooting at the University of Virginia was called off after law enforcement learned during a live press conference that a suspect had been arrested.
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