AOS 98

Maine schools receive threats, MSMA reports

FBI, State Police investigating
Fri, 01/31/2020 - 4:15pm

Boothbay Region High and Elementary, Southport and Georgetown central and Edgecomb Eddy schools underwent standard security measures after threats were made to over a dozen Maine schools. Superintendent Keith Laser said he received a call from Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 11 a.m. apprising him of the situation and that no AOS 98 schools were named in the threats. Laser said shortly thereafter he received a call from School Resource Officer Larry Brown and then an email from Maine School Management Association which he forwarded to all AOS 98 principals.

The MSMA letter, titled “Gunman Threatens Maine Schools,” said the initial message alerting them to the situation came from Orono Police Department. MSMA then forwarded the alert to all Maine school districts.

The letter outlined the substance of the threats: “The sender promises to come to schools and kill children if Susan Collins doesn’t ‛do the right thing’ in terms of the ongoing hearings around President Trump’s impeachment. It includes a threat that ‛innocent kids are going to die’ if Susan Collins doesn’t vote to remove the president. Specific school districts were mentioned in the message, which contained multiple expletives and obscenities.”

Several schools mentioned in the threat were on soft lockdown, the letter said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Maine State Police are investigating the threats.