NORWICH, Conn. — School officials in Connecticut communities are canceling classes or dismissing early Friday following social media threats of violence.
In Wolcott, all schools including the high school, all elementary schools, and Tyrrell Middle School will dismiss early.
School officials said that the dismissal comes due to a high level of rumors and unsubstantiated claims regarding school violence.
Superintendent Tony Gasper said all after-school programs are also canceled for the day. Gasper said there were no credible threats at this time but made the decision following a high number of rumors which were causing a disruption to the learning community.
Across the state, school officials have issued a letter to the Norwich Public School community Friday morning, stating that due to an alleged social media threat, all schools will be closed for the day.
Superintendent Kristen Stringfellow said in the letter that parents from the Teachers Memorial Global Studies Magnet Middle School contacted the school principal to report the Snapchat story.
The social media story was from someone the parents believed to attend Norwich schools, and had allegedly referenced a threat to the school as well as a picture of a handgun, Stringfellow said.
RELATED: Region 10 classes canceled Friday as officials investigate threat targeting school district
The principal notified Stringfellow and then the police to alert them to the potential threat. Police began their investigation and visited the homes of the students who were said to have been involved, according to Stringfellow.
At this time, Norwich police investigators have not determined the credibility of the threat.
"I was not willing to risk the safety of our students and staff," Stringfellow said in the letter.
Stringfellow stated that out of an abundance of caution, all Norwich schools will have classes canceled so police could investigate the incident.
"I am so very proud of the students who brought this matter to the attention of their parents," Stringfellow said in the letter. "They reacted in the safest way possible and I'm extremely grateful to them."
Stringfellow said the district plans on having classes on Monday.
Norwich is not the only Connecticut town that's seen either a cancelation of classes or an increased police presence over school threats.
Region 10 schools in Burlington and Harwinton also announced that classes were canceled Friday following reported threats that specifically targeted the district.
Threats targeting schools across the country reportedly went viral on TikTok on Thursday, prompting an increased police presence at several school districts across the state including South Windsor and Wallingford.
A Naugatuck 13-year-old was arrested on a breach of peace charge after police said they made a threatening social media post targeting one of the schools.
The TikTok videos were the latest in what has been several recent incidents of school threats in the state.
Three teens were arrested in Ansonia after threats were made on social media; Five teens at Seymour High School have been charged after making "alarming" social media posts; A student in Danbury faces 11 counts of breach of peace, falsely reporting an incident, and threatening after reportedly sending threatening emails that targeted Danbury High School; Watertown police increased their presence at all schools last week following an incident where a 12-year-old student reportedly texted himself a threat against Swift Middle School to try and get out of going to school.
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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