Social media threats of shootings at Chinle schools a hoax
CHINLE
Social media threats of a school shooting in Chinle have been determined to be a hoax, according to a 9 a.m. e-mail to teachers in the Chinle Unified School District.
The determination was made after an investigation by local law enforcement and the FBI, the e-mail stated.
All district schools and offices will remain closed today.
Teachers in the district received an email at 10 p.m. Thursday informing them of the threats and asking them to stay home on Friday.
The district’s website stated “CUSD#24 schools & district offices will be closed on Feb. 23, 2018,” but did not explain why.
A call to the district turned up a recording stating “Extension is not available.”
Navajo Nation Chief of Police Phillip Francisco said Friday morning there had been a rash of such threats to reservation schools since the Feb. 14 shooting at a Florida high school that killed 17 people.
“Some of them are probably just rumors, but we are proceeding with caution and investigating all of them,” Francisco said.
A search of the words “Chinle shooting” on Facebook did not turn up any original posts threatening a shooting, but plenty of people were posting about hearing of the threat.
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