Broward County, Fla., Schools Lift Lockdown

The Broward County, Florida, lockdown on public and charter schools put into place Wednesday morning was lifted by the afternoon following telephoned and emailed threats, reports CBS4-TV.

Police presence was increased before the release of children from schools, but police officials did not elaborate at an afternoon press conference why the threat was diminished, the Associated Press reports.

While after school activities were canceled, after school care will run normally.

The lockdown started early Wednesday morning when Pembroke Pines Police said they received an unspecified threat after a woman called a radio station to say her husband was "going to respond to a school in Pembroke Pines and start shooting."

When police were not able to confirm the threat, they ordered a lockdown of all schools as a precaution. Students were brought in from all outdoor activities and gates to seal off entrances to the schools were closed and locked.

McArthur High School, which is on the border of Pembroke Pines, was also placed on lockdown, according to Nadine Drew with the county's school district.

In addition to the unspecified threat, Pembroke Pines police said an email was also sent stating that "something big was going to happen" around government buildings in Broward County.

The Broward Sheriffs Office, Broward Schools and other county, state, and federal agencies were notified and as a precaution, Drew said a lockdown order was issued for all schools in the county along with work sites and all school facilities including the School Board building.

The Broward County Public Schools is the sixth-largest public school district and the largest, fully-accredited public school district in the country with nearly 233 thousand students.