Police across Connecticut and Long Island on Friday have increased their security presence at schools out of an abundance of caution. The extra law enforcement is in response to social media posts that have gone viral nationwide, warning of shootings or bomb threats that target schools.
In Connecticut, a 13-year-old boy was arrested this week for posting a school threat on social media, prompting some schools in Litchfield County and in Norwich to close on Friday.
Some Long Island school districts blitzed parents with robocalls and emails notifying them of the threat. Nassau and Suffolk County police said their investigations did not turn up any credible threats. Still, schools across the island beefed up their security as a precaution.
Police said they believe these are copycat threats of school violence that stem from a viral challenge for students on the social media app, TikTok.
