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North Attleboro Middle School closed after threat found on bathroom wall

North Attleboro school threat part of a disturbing trend
North Attleboro school threat part of a disturbing trend 01:54

NORTH ATTLEBORO - School resource officers say an incident that forced students to miss school in North Attleboro Tuesday is part of a disturbing trend. 

A member of the staff found a message scrawled on a bathroom wall at the middle school, threatening a school shooting. Buses were rerouted before students even made it to the building and parents got text alerts telling them school was canceled. 

"It's all on the uptick," said Mo Canady, Executive Director of the National Association of School Resource Officers. "The threats that are going on...are in a place we haven't seen historically in the school safety business." 

The organization counted 50 similar threats at schools across the country just last week. 

In North Attleboro all other schools stayed open Tuesday, including the high school right next door. 

"A lot of people were talking about it in school, like we all wanted to go home," said high school student Sandra Skinner. 

"I came early to grab my daughter," said David John, who was in a line of cars waiting to pick up kids. 

North Attleboro School officials said they made the decision together with police out of an abundance of caution.  

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