Locust Valley evacuates school board meeting after perceived threats of gun violence tied to Kirk shooting, officials say
Locust Valley High School in 2014. Wednesday night's school board meeting was evacuated after threats of gun violence. Credit: Kristy Leibowitz
Officials evacuated a high school auditorium where a school board meeting was being held Wednesday night in Locust Valley after receiving what was described as "two back-to-back voicemails threatening gun violence" and referencing the assassination of Charlie Kirk earlier in the day in Utah.
Nassau County police said an extensive investigation, conducted in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security and Suffolk County police, determined the threats were "not credible" and that the caller was an "intoxicated" 72-year-old man from Islip who thought he was returning calls to people who had been pranking him.
The incident unfolded in the minutes leading up to the scheduled meeting of the Locust Valley Central School District board at Locust Valley High School. Nassau County police said those voicemail messages were received at about 6:48 p.m., and that the district notified police of the perceived threats at about 7 p.m.
Video obtained by Newsday shows board president George Vasiliou taking a microphone to address the crowd and evacuate attendees from the auditorium, saying: "Good evening folks. We apologize for this. We have received this evening two back-to-back voicemails threatening gun violence to all of us here. ... The individual complained about who we all are up here on the dais — and, proceeded to praise the terrible actions that occurred in Utah today and explained explicitly that he'd like to put us on the news, as well."
Then, urging the crowd to exit, Vasiliou said: "For everybody's safety, we are asking you to please exit the building. We are removing the public. ... This is a serious thing and we've reported it to the Nassau County police and to our security — and, we're taking this very seriously, this type of threat. Thank you."
On Thursday, Nassau police said officers were immediately dispatched to the school to investigate the incident and, after determining where the calls originated from, contacted Suffolk police — and had them send officers to the home in Islip.
There Nassau police Det. Tracey Cabey said, "they spoke to the elderly, intoxicated male who said he was calling back numbers from his caller ID."
It was not immediately clear if the caller had received calls from a number at the school or if his returned calls were to the wrong number.
Nassau police said messages left at Locust Valley by the caller included the line: "It's too bad what happened to the guy today" — in reference to the shooting of Kirk. Police said there were no direct threats made referencing gun violence.
Police said Homeland Security officers also interviewed school officials Thursday morning and reviewed the messages and also found no specific or credible threats. Police said the caller, whose identity was not released, has not been charged.
In a letter to families released Thursday, Vasiliou and Kristen Turnow, the district superintendent, wrote that the staff and board contacted the Nassau County Police Department and Department of Homeland Security, canceled the meeting and evacuated the building “out of an abundance of caution."
The district opened schools on Thursday with additional security officers as well as marked and unmarked law enforcement vehicles, according to the letter. The district canceled outdoor activities Thursday because of the need to plan ahead for athletic activities, but all outdoor and after-school activities were expected to resume Friday, the letter stated.
The school board’s meeting has been rescheduled for Monday, and the meeting will include a presentation about the district’s safety procedures, according to the letter.
“Please know that we will always take the highest levels of precaution to ensure our campuses are safe,” Vasiliou and Turnow wrote.
While Nassau and Suffolk police said there are no active credible threats in either county, both agencies said Thursday they have increased patrols around schools as well as places of worship.
In a statement to Newsday, Suffolk police said: "Although there are currently no credible threats in our area, members of the department are in communication with our law enforcement partners. As always, residents are encouraged to call 911 to report suspicious activity."
One former school board member said he felt confident enough about the district’s security measures to send his children to school on Thursday.
“We’re very comfortable with the children in school and we feel they’re safe,” said Brian Nolan, who served as school board president until 2023 and has children in third and fourth grade in the district. “I just know the level of security that we have in each of the buildings, and I know that the emergency plans are extensively reviewed.”
The district has worked with the Nassau County Police Department and the federal Department of Homeland Security on its plans, he said.
Newsday's Maura McDermott contributed to this story.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
