Hoax Threats Hit Six Boston Schools and Colleges in One Morning; Police Say All Were Unfounded

Boston police responded to threats made against six schools and colleges across the city on Tuesday morning, and determined that all of them were unfounded, according to police statements reported by Boston 25 News and WCVB. No one was hurt, and every location was declared safe and clear, the department said. The Boston Regional Intelligence Center, the department's intelligence unit, is investigating.

Boston 25 News, citing police, listed the six addresses: 885 Washington St., Quincy Elementary School in Chinatown; 300 Cambridge St., Torit Montessori School; 205 Townsend St., Boston Latin Academy in Dorchester; 255 St. Botolph St., the New England Conservatory; 382 Shawmut Ave., the Blackstone school in the South End; and 1 University Road, Boston University. The list runs from an elementary school to a conservatory and a university.

At Boston University, the threat involved Boston University Academy, the private high school on the BU campus. The Daily Free Press, BU's student newspaper, reported that students were evacuated because of what police later determined was a bomb hoax, and that police found no threat. Patch reported that the building reopened around 10:15 a.m.

The department did not say how the threats were made, whether they came from one source, or whether they were connected to threats elsewhere. WCVB described them as reported threats at multiple schools "spanning elementary to college levels." Boston 25 News described the incident as developing.

The Boston Police Department's own daily crime summary for the 24 hours ending at 10 a.m. Tuesday, the "Boston 24," lists zero homicides, zero robberies, four aggravated assaults, one larceny from a vehicle, 20 other larcenies and four auto thefts. The summary does not include threat reports, which are not one of its categories. The department's separate public journal for Monday into Tuesday morning, which lists 269 incident reports filed through 8:04 a.m. Tuesday, contains four entries categorized as "threats to do bodily harm," all reported Monday, before the school threats began. The school threats are not yet reflected in a public journal.

Hoax threats against schools are investigated as crimes in Massachusetts, but police did not announce any arrest or suspect on Tuesday. Under state law, knowingly communicating a false report of a bomb or other explosive device is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in state prison. Police did not say what charges, if any, investigators are considering in this case.

Boston Public Schools runs Quincy Elementary and Boston Latin Academy. The police statements quoted by local outlets did not describe evacuations at any site other than BU Academy, and did not say how long police were at each location.

The same public journal shows the most common entries Monday were "investigate person" reports (30), sick-assist calls (26) and simple assaults (17).

What remains unknown: how the threats were delivered, whether investigators believe one person or group is responsible, whether any of the institutions received similar threats before, and whether anyone will be charged.