Boy, 13, arrested related to threats; Fridley schools closed again Thursday

All classes and activities have been called off Thursday in Fridley Public Schools, in a second day of closings due to an unspecified threat.

On Wednesday night, Fridley police said they arrested a 13-year-old boy the day before in relation to the threat. The boy is being held at the East Central Regional Juvenile Center in Lino Lakes.

On a Wednesday post on Facebook, the school district said it would be closed again on Thursday “due to continued safety concerns.”

Earlier, district officials did not share details about the threat, only that it was made over Snapchat and that police were investigating.

“We have made the decision to cancel school in close collaboration with our partners at the Fridley Police Department,” Superintendent Brenda Lewis wrote in a letter to families. “Our hope is that not holding classes on Wednesday will allow police, including our school resource officers, to fully investigate and determine the origin of the threat.”

As police conducted their investigation of the initial threat, they were made aware of additional threats on various social media platforms.

Lewis apologized for the inconvenience and encouraged district families to speak up if they see or hear anything that could represent a potential threat to school safety.

Fridley schools enroll about 2,900 students.