Threats prompt 3 central Minnesota school districts to close early Monday

Three school districts in central Minnesota say they dismissed students early on Monday after each received a threatening phone call.

Fergus Falls Public Schools says McKinley and Adams elementary schools as well as Kennedy Secondary School, which includes both a middle and high school, each got a call at around noon threatening the safety of those in the buildings. Specifically, the district says the caller threatened to shoot through the schools’ windows.

The district went into a lockdown and called officers to each district building. Fergus Falls Public Schools said all students and staff are safe but the decision was made to close early and buses picked up kids starting at 1:30 p.m. All after-school activities were also canceled.

Around 20 miles north, Pelican Rapids Public Schools said someone made a similar call to the district, which prompted a response from police and the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Department.

Then, around 120 miles east, someone called the Aitkin High School office at around 1 p.m. and made a threat, which led the district to go into a full lockdown of all grades. That was lifted at around 2:20 p.m. and students were sent home, with all after-school activities canceled.

Grand Meadow Public Schools also received a threat on Sunday, which closed schools on Monday. It’s unclear if any of the threats are related.

No other details were immediately available but 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has reached out to law enforcement.