New Jersey

Bomb Threats Targeting At Least 13 NJ School Districts Deemed Not Credible

All of the schools were in Bergen and Passaic counties, authorities said

At least 13 school districts in northern New Jersey were targeted by a robo-called bomb threats Wednesday morning, the latest cluster of a day-disrupting hoax that has become increasingly common in the state. 

Schools targeted on Wednesday were all in Bergen and Passaic counties and included districts in Fair Lawn, Englewood, Passaic Valley, Hawthorne, Midland Park, Lodi, Elmwood Park, Fort Lee, Leonia, Hackensack, Garfield and Paramus. 

Classes at all of the schools affected by the threats were cleared by bomb squads and classes resumed before noon.

At least two of the schools that received threats were on break this week, authorities said. Some others were undergoing standardized testing.

"We have to continue tomorrow," said student Liam Perfetti, who added that he had been ready for the derailed standardized tests.

Chopper 4 footage caught students being cleared out of a school in Lodi. Several other schools were also evacuated or placed on lockdown they were searched by police.

"I felt safe because we were being escorted by police and we were far from the building," said student Jasrup Singh.

Schools in northern New Jersey have been targeted by threats many times in the last several months. In January, 11 schools received robotic-sounding voicemail messages routed through California that alluded to explosives or mass shootings. 

In Bergen County alone, there have been 31 bomb threats at schools since January, not including Wednesday's threats. Sixty-four schools were searched in those threats. 

That's a significant jump from 2016, when the sheriff's office said it responded to 16 bomb threats.

New Jersey hasn't been alone, either. Areas across the country have been targeted by concurrent threats that closed down multiple school districts.

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