Chaos and panic gripped Washington D.C. today as the city grappled with the aftermath of receiving hundreds of bomb threats via email. Hundreds of emails were sent to prominent schools and prompted widespread lockdowns. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) quickly responded, launching an investigation into the threats that were emailed to numerous schools just before 11 a.m.
In a statement posted on social media, the MPD assured the public that officers were coordinating with D.C. Public and Charter schools to ensure the safety of students and staff. Despite having no evidence to corroborate the threats, law enforcement is actively investigating the origins of nearly 200 threatening emails.
DC resident and Managing Editor of R Statecraft, Benjamin Armbruster revealed that his child’s elementary school, a public charter in the district, was part of an email chain sent to a total of 191 people. The threats have created disarray across the city, with residents reporting a state of chaos.
“I just got a call from my kid’s elementary school (a DC public charter) that it “was included on an email chain with a bomb threat. This threat was sent to 191 recipients in DC and has created chaos across the city,” he posted on X.
Councilmember Zachary Parker confirmed that his office has received concerns “from neighbors regarding a bomb threat sent via email to DC schools across the city today stating that a bomb would go off within a certain time frame. Schools were evacuated and MPD units across the city conducted sweeps and walkthroughs.”
He further added, “There is no credible threat to DC schools at this time. My team has been in touch with MPD, which has cleared all Ward 5 schools that received threats and deemed them to be safe.”
The College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts also faced evacuation due to a bomb threat, with officials emphasizing that the threat risk was assessed to be low. The Worcester and State Police, along with the Fire Department, were on-site conducting searches and evacuations.
This incident comes just a week after bomb threat emails were sent to government officials in 13 states, causing disruptions and evacuations in some state capitals. However, subsequent investigations by the FBI revealed the threats to be hoaxes, with no explosives found in government buildings.
Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities. As the investigation into the Washington D.C. bomb threats continues, the city remains on high alert, emphasizing the need for heightened security measures to ensure the safety of residents and students.
Violence may seem to be rising in D.C., but police say there is no citywide surge.
According to police, the violence has been in short, intense bursts, driven by conflicts between small groups.
Homicide numbers in the District are down this year, but this sudden burst of violence is raising new questions.
Police report 18 homicides to date for 2026. This is in comparison to 41 this time last year – which is a 56 percent drop.
But since April 1, MPD report seven homicides, including Tuesday’s murders of two boys ages 12 and 13.
“We’re still processing the scene but we do know there were a large number of shots fired in a very small period of time,” said MPD Police Chief Jeffrery Carroll at the Tuesday shooting scene.
SEE ALSO | Second boy dies in shooting near Northeast DC convenience store; $50K reward offered
So why now?
Police say this isn’t random. Instead, it’s targeted violence, driven by conflicts between small groups of people.
The kind of disputes that can quickly spiral.
“Over the past week, we’ve seen an increase in fatal shootings. It appears to be interpersonal violence between groups of individuals,” added Carroll.
With easy access to guns, even minor disputes can turn deadly – even with police seizing between 40 to 50 firearms in a typical week.
MPD said in 2025 they removed almost 3,000 guns off the streets.
In addition, with the warmer weather more people are gathering outdoors.
Cities often see short-term spring or summer spikes in crime.
Furthermore, MPD says the violence is concentrated in specific neighborhoods, especially parts of the southeast.
To combat spikes in crime, MPD will often respond by flooding high-crime hot spots with officers – which this year has meant federal agents, including ATF, Secret Service, and the National Guard.
Even with the recent spike in murders, D.C. remains on track for one of its lowest homicide years in decades.
A D.C. police officer was arrested and charged with sexual solicitation of a minor and child pornography.
Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Matthew Mahl, who previously served as chairman of the D.C. Police Union, was arrested in Harford County, Maryland.
MPD revoked Mahl’s police powers and placed him on administrative leave, a spokesperson said. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office contacted MPD’s internal affairs division shortly after he was arrested, they said.
“The allegations in this case are extremely disturbing, and in direct contrast to the values of the Metropolitan Police Department. MPD’s Internal Affairs Division will investigate violations of MPD policy once the criminal investigation concludes,” a statement said.
Court records show Mahl is being held without bond and is scheduled for a bond review hearing on Wednesday.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
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