Dutch police free Leiden school gun threat suspect

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Armed police were deployed and schools closed in the western Dutch city of Leiden on MondayImage source, AFP
Image caption,
Armed police stood guard outside some schools following the online threat

Dutch police have released an ex-British School pupil arrested following a threat to carry out a shooting at a school in the city of Leiden.

More than 20 schools were closed on Monday in response to the warning posted on internet forum 4chan.

The anonymous writer said they would shoot their teacher "and as many students as I can".

Officers questioned a former pupil of the British School, which has a site in neighbouring Voorschoten.

But police said in a statement on Tuesday: "The suspect arrested for threatening a Leiden school has been released... and is no longer a suspect." They added that the threat was less serious than previously feared.

Leiden Mayor Henri Lenferink said there was a strong suspicion that the threat may have come via Costa Rica, but police said that was by no means certain.

Dutch police are investigating whether a proxy server was used to conceal the location of the author.

Schools in Leiden opened as usual on Tuesday, but with a police presence.