Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) leaders said all 650,000 students are safe after all schools were closed Tuesday when an “unspecified threat” was received.

Los Angeles High School was closed Tuesday after LAUSD received a threat against all schools in the district. (photo by Edwin Folven)

“I decided to close schools, and this choice was not made lightly,” said Superintendent Ramon Cortines. “It disrupted the lives of our students, our employees and their families. Based on recent events, I took this precaution out of an abundance of caution and to ensure safety and security in our schools.”

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said he is still gathering information, but the initial assessment is that it was a hoax “or something designed to disrupt school districts in large cities.”

“The investigation is ongoing as to where the threat originated from and who was responsible,” Schiff said in a statement.

Congressman Brad Sherman, (D-Los Angeles) said the threats received by school officials claimed that the person behind the threats had 32 accomplices ready to strike on Tuesday.

“The email author claims to be a student of the ‘Los Angeles Unified district.’ This is terminology that someone familiar with the Los Angeles schools would use,” Sherman said in a statement. “The email was received at roughly 10 p.m. Monday night in Los Angeles, meaning that Los Angeles officials had enough time to announce the closure of schools before they opened the next morning, thus forcing L.A. school officials to make a decision.”

Cortines said more than 900 schools were searched by the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and school police. LAPD Wilshire Division officers conducted extra patrols around local schools.

Some students had already arrived at their campuses by the time the district alerted parents that schools were closed. Parents and guardians were required to show their IDs to pick up students.

Surekha Baker, a teaching assistant at Charles H. Kim Elementary School on Oxford Avenue in Koreatown, picked up her neighbor’s son at John Burroughs Middle School Tuesday morning. She said LAUSD administrators had notified her of the closures.

“We have to be cautious,” Baker said. “It’s important they check everything.”

Mayor Eric Garcetti said it was critical that everyone remain calm.

“As mayor, we have shared our support and our intelligence and LAPD is working in collaboration with LAUSD school police to fully investigate this threat,” the mayor said in a statement.

Classes resumed Wednesday. The district will have crisis counselors available for students and employees who may need additional support.

The sheriff’s department encourages people to report anything suspicious at (888)950-SAFE, or by calling local police stations.