Threat closes schools Friday in Benton Community School District

VAN HORNE - A threat against a school in the Benton Community School District prompted district officials to cancel school today, the superintendent said in a news release Thursday afternoon.

An unidentified person threatened 'an act of violence,” according to the release.

As a result, the district canceled all district activities - including classes, athletic and extracurricular events - from Thursday afternoon through Sunday.

'The district takes any threat of violence very seriously, and this is no exception,” Superintendent Pam Ewell said in a statement.

The Benton County Sheriff's Office received information from the FBI about a threat against the middle school, Sheriff Ronald Tippett said in a statement, and the threat is believed to have come from someone at the middle school.

The FBI and local law enforcement are continuing to investigate, according to the release.

The rural school district, located 30 miles west of Cedar Rapids, serves 1,400 students.

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