5 Oahu private schools receive identical bomb threats

Five Oahu private schools, including ‘Iolani, Punahou and Assets, received identical bomb threats through email Tuesday morning, prompting campus searches and the start of five separate terroristic threatening investigations by Honolulu police.

The schools reported receiving the threats between 9 and 10 a.m. Tuesday and believe they are the latest in a series of similar, automated messages sent to schools in Maine; Washington, D.C.; and elsewhere. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser could not confirm the names of the other two Hawaii schools.

The threatening notes received Tuesday by the five schools on Oahu were identical and appeared to be sent from the same address, according to the Honolulu Police Department. HPD has opened five cases of first- degree terroristic threatening. None of the schools targeted were a part of the state Department of Education, according to a DOE spokeswoman.

“School threats in any form are taken seriously and fully investigated. There is no such thing as a harmless prank when it comes to the safety of students and staff,” said Maj. Brandon Nakasato, who leads HPD’s Criminal Investigation Division, told the Star-Advertiser.

When a bomb threat is reported to HPD, police officers are sent to the school to get more information and evaluate the situation, Nakasato said. Officers and school administrators discuss what action should be taken, including searching or evacuating the campus.

Steven Merrill, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Honolulu division, said that the bureau is “aware of this matter” and working with HPD and campus liaison partners to “mitigate this threat.”

“As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities that could represent a threat to public safety,” said Merrill.

First-degree terroristic threatening is a Class C felony in Hawaii punishable by up to five years in prison.

“We are aware of the bomb threats at the schools and are available to support, as needed,” Jason Chudy, public information officer for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Seattle Field Division told the Star-Advertiser.

Punahou School sent an email to parents at 11:01 a.m. Tuesday informing them that the threat sent to the school was identical to email messages “sent in recent weeks to multiple schools nationally and internationally, to institutions in places as varied as India, Maine, and Washington D.C.”

“We are in contact with law enforcement and we do not believe these emails are credible. We believe that they are instead part of a widespread hoax,” read the note to parents.

After discovering the email, Punahou immediately engaged with law enforcement to conduct a security sweep of the campus but did not find anything of concern, according to the school.

“We are pleased to report that our school day was unaffected by this and students were able to carry on their learning uninterrupted. We are very grateful for the assistance of the Honolulu Police Department and the FBI for their rapid response today,” Robert Gelber, Punahou’s director of communications, told the Star-Advertiser.

Michelle Hee, director of communications and public relations at ‘Iolani School, told the Star-Advertiser the school also did not experience disruptions to class schedules or students during the search for a possible explosive device.

The school sent an email to parents letting them know that they contacted police, initiated a search and determined there was no threat.

“We are in contact with law enforcement and we do not believe these emails are credible. We believe that they are instead part of a widespread hoax as is currently being reported by news agencies around the world,” read ‘Iolani School’s note to parents.