Cranston Hit with Robo-Bomb Threats Tuesday

CRANSTON, RI—Cranston schools were hit with bomb threats on Tuesday—the same robotic-voiced threats phoned in to school across the country in recent weeks.

In a message to parents, Superintendent Jeannine Nota-Masse said that the school administration and Cranston High School East received the threat on Tuesday morning.

“As the case with schools in RI and on the east coast, we have determined the calls were a hoax. All district safety protocols were followed and at no time were students or staff in danger,” the superintendent said. “Cranston Police were notified immediately and determined the threat was not credible. Our of an abundance of caution, they have increased patrols at our schools, as we have done in the past. Cranston Police are currently investigating this incident.”

Similar threats hit schools in Newport four times in a five-day period last week, much to the chagrin of school officials there.

Other threats have been called in to schools in Tiverton, West Warwick and dozens of communities in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey.

The state police concluded that many of the calls seem to be originating from Russia, which makes enforcement and possible arrests extremely difficult, if not impossible.

While the threats are been determined to be hoaxes, it’s cold comfort for parents who worry about the safety of their children. It’s also a major concern for school officials and police who have to respond to threats with an abundance of caution even if the threats aren’t real.