(Updated 8:30 A.M. )Highland School District Closed Wednesday After Social Media Threat

School is canceled today (Oct. 5) for all schools in the Highland School District in Cowiche. Law enforcement officials say a specific social media threat was made toward students in the district, so school officials decided to cancel school for the safety for all students and staff.

Deputies from the Yakima County Sheriff's Office are investigating and they say it is related to the scary clown sightings that have been happening recently across the country.

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The Yakima School District is also aware of the threat, but say school will go on as scheduled Wednesday. Officers are asking you to report any suspicious activity. Yakima Police say they have received threats to Davis High School and at Lewis & Clark Middle School. School district leaders will be meeting with Yakima Police this morning to further discuss the threats.

Here is the statement the Highland School District sent out:

IMPORTANT MESSAGE:
This is an important message. School is canceled tomorrow, Wednesday, October 5th, for all Highland Schools. There was a specific social media threat made for tomorrow only and after reporting and consulting with law enforcement the decision to cancel school was made in order to err on the side of safety for all students and staff. Law enforcement will continue investigating.

Here is the statement that the Yakima School District sent out:
We have received reports of several "creepy clown" messages on social media. Though these situations are believed to be hoaxes, we take all threats seriously. Please notify police if you see any unsafe or unusual activity. School districts across the country are dealing with similar reports. Additionally, we are monitoring reports and are working closely with YPD to ensure safety of our students. Please remind your children to never accept a friend request from an unknown person (or clown) on social media. Dr. Jack Irion, Superintendent