NEW YORK CITY — City schools received the same threat that shut down the Los Angeles school system Tuesday morning but quickly deemed it a hoax, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said.
“We affirm that we do have an investigation underway, but it's an investigation into a hoax," Bratton said.
"We do believe the email originated overseas. The language in the email would lead us to believe that it was not a Jihadist. For example, Allah was not spelled with a capital 'A.'"
Bratton said the suspect may be a fan of the Showtime hit "Homeland."
"That mirrors a lot of recent episodes on 'Homeland,'" he said.
The New York scare came just hours after Los Angeles closed all of its public schools after receiving “a credible threat” of violence involving backpacks and packages left on school grounds, according to The Los Angeles Times.
That closure affected more than 900 schools and more than 700,000 students.
“I think it was a significant overreaction,” Bratton said.
He added that the NYPD is working closely with the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force and authorities in Los Angeles.
Mayor Bill de Blasio called the threat "outlandish" and said classes in city schools would go on as scheduled.
“Our schools are safe,” he said. “Our children should be in school today.
“Based on the information that we have, this was a very generic piece of writing sent to a number of different places simultaneously."
Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina said there was no reason to panic.
"As always, the safety of our students and staff both in and around our schools is our number one concern and any extra needed security measures will be taken," she said.
