Updated at 3:38 p.m.
All Cabarrus County high schools were given the all clear by law enforcement after being closed earlier today as police investigated a possible explosive device threat. An alert on the school district's Web site said all campuses "are clear and safe" and will reopen on Monday. Students have Friday off for Veteran's Day.
According to a Concord Police Department press release, police officials received information Thursday morning about an anonymous threat to Cabarrus County high schools that referenced explosive devices. All high schools students were dismissed shortly afterwards.
Police officials said in a release that although the threat was deemed "not credible," Superintendent Christopher Lowder decided it was sufficient to warrant the early closure of all high schools.
The police department worked with the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office to sweep high school facilities in Concord. No evidence relating to the threat was uncovered.
The early dismissals began around 11 a.m., shortly after the Concord Police Department first announced the closings on Twitter.
J.N. Fries Middle was the lone middle school to send its students home with the high schoolers. A Cabarrus County Schools spokesperson said that was because the school shares a campus with Performance Learning Center, which is a high school.
Authorities say a joint criminal investigation is continuing into the incident with the assistance of the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office and the FBI. No specific information on the incident or investigation was released.
In a release, the police department thanked parents, students, and school faculty for their patience and assistance, and said the department would provide an update on the criminal investigation when it's appropriate to do so.
