Multiple bomb threats have been reported in cities across the country Thursday, including Houston, Rosenberg and Beaumont.
"We are aware of recent bomb threats received via email here in Harris County and across the nation," the Harris County Sheriff's Office tweeted. "We're working with federal, state and local partners to identify the source. Residents are urged to be vigilant and promptly report suspicious, threatening activity."
Rosenberg police report at least two threats but say "no credible threat has been found at this point."
Beaumont police say there have been multiple threats in their area.
The FBI is responding to the reports, though a number of local officials say they do not believe the threats are credible.
“We are aware of the recent bomb threats made in cities around the country, and we remain in touch with our law enforcement partners to provide assistance. As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities which could represent a threat to public safety," it said in a statement.
Some of the emails had the subject line: "Think Twice," according to the Associated Press.
The bomb threats came in the form of a circulating email that demanded Bitcoin payments or wired money transfers, according to a tweet by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon.
AppRiver said on its blogs that the messages were poorly worded, using non-native English, and "appear to be emanating form Moscow." The blog noted, however, that these clues might also have been implanted to create "false flags" pointing at Russia.
Across the country, some schools were closed early and others were evacuated because of the threats. Penn State University noticed students via a campus alert. Near Atlanta, people were ushered out of a courthouse.
Other reports of bomb threats have come from the following cities:
- Washington, D.C.
- Jefferson County, Colorado, including at Columbine High School
- Hampton Roads, Virginia, including the World Trade Center in Norfolk
- Multiple cities across Oregon
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Boise, Idaho
- Buffalo, New York
- Atlanta Georgia
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Lincoln County, Missouri
- Columbia, North Carolina
This is a breaking story and will be updated.