Clusters of school bomb threats in NJ, Mass

HACKENSACK, N.J. — Authorities say bomb threats made against several northern New Jersey schools may be related.

The Record reports that authorities were sweeping high schools in Garfield, Hackensack, Englewood and Fort Lee on Wednesday, as well as three school buildings in Leonia. The sweeps began shortly after school officials and police received at least six bomb threats.

Several of the schools were evacuated after the threats were received, but no bombs or other items were found in any of the buildings during subsequent searches. No injuries were reported in any of the incidents.

Authorities said another bomb threat was made to the Garfield police headquarters, which is at least the second time the station has been threatened over the past month.

Five Massachusetts schools receive hoax bomb threats

BOSTON — Five schools in Massachusetts received near-simulataneous bomb threats on Wednesday, the most logged by state police this year.

Police and fire officials said the threats at four high schools and one preschool across the state were all found to be hoaxes.

“We don’t know if they were in any way linked,” said a dispatcher for the Massachusetts State Police.

The threats were received at Amherst High School, Boston College High School, Boston English High School, Worcester North High School, and a preschool connected to Natick High School.

The FBI has joined an investigation into a general increase in bomb threats in Massachusetts in recent months, some of which are believed to have come from a single source.

Several high schools in Massachusetts received bomb threats last month by email from an account belonging to someone who calls himself “Jared the Terrorist,” according to the state police.

An FBI official was not immediately available to comment.