Clay County District Schools stepping up patrols after receiving a threatening email

Jacksonville, FL — It's unsettling for parents, students, and staff in Clay County.

The Clay County public school district is alerting parents about a recent threat of violence. In a robocall recorded by Clay County Superintendent of Schools Addison Davis, it says the district was one of many districts in Florida and across the nation who received an email with a threat about violence.

This threat was apparently sent in a generic email and did NOT specify the names of school districts in any way.

However, Davis says the district took immediate action and reached out to local law enforcement agencies, who are now working alongside state and federal law enforcement to track down the person responsible. It's believed the originator of these threatening emails may be outside of the US.

In the meantime, Clay County schools says it has extra law enforcement patrols at schools as a precaution. They had heightened patrols on campuses Wednesday, and expect some additional security through the week, as a precaution.

FULL MESSAGE FROM CLAY COUNTY DISTRICT SCHOOLS BELOW: 

"Good Afternoon Parents and Guardians,

This is Addison Davis, Superintendent of Schools. I am calling to notify you that Clay County District Schools was one of numerous school districts in Florida, and across the nation, who received an email with a threat about violence to our schools. This was a generic email and did not specify the names of school districts.

Upon receiving this email, we took immediate action and contacted local law enforcement agencies to support our schools today with extra patrols as a precaution. In addition, our local law enforcement agencies are working with state and federal law enforcement to track down the originator of the message, which investigators say is outside of the country.

As always, we will continue our efforts in maintaining a safe environment for all as safety is our greatest priority. Thank you for your immediate attention and have a great evening."