Mimai, FL – A man’s threat to cause a massacre at a school or a government building in Pembroke Pines has resulted Wednesday in a massive panic throughout Broward County.

Authorities said an unidentified man told his wife that he was going to shoot indiscriminately at students and teachers. The woman then notified a local radio station via e-mail and a phone call about the threat, authorities said.

The e-mail said “something was going to happen” around government buildings in Broward. The wave of lock downs, which began minutes after police were notified, began shortly before 8:45 a.m.

Pembroke Pines police issued a threat alert to all public and private schools in the area, said Capt. Dan Rakofsky.

“The first step is to make sure that schools are protected, the second is to follow any leads,” said Rakofsky. “We are going to have the schools on lock down until we believe is safe.”

Broward County School’s Superintendent James Notter issued an alert asking principals to close down schools — trapping about 230,000 students.

“Our children and employees are safe at this point,” Notter said.

Notter would not elaborate on the nature of the threat other than to say the school district’s investigative unit, the Broward Sheriff’s Office and Pembroke Pines police were working together.

Concerned parents should not go to school to pick up their children, said district spokeswoman Nadine Drew.

“Parents should remain calm in a lock down situation, there are no exits or entrances from the schools,” she said.

Local, state and federal agencies are involved.

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(Source: Miami Herald)