UPDATE: Law enforcement: Online hate crime threat is ‘not credible’

Update Wednesday 9:45 a.m.: City police spokesman Chris Togneri announced Wednesday morning that investigators had traced an online threat to commit a hate crime to Beaver County, and that they had deemed the threat “not credible.”

“Police interviewed a male juvenile and his family early this morning and determined that the juvenile teen had no intentions to carry out the threat,” Togneri said. “The online threat has been determined to not be credible.”

Pitt police announced in a Tuesday night public safety alert that it is aware of a threat made on social media to commit a hate crime at an undisclosed City hospital on Wednesday.

“Pitt police are taking all available precautions in the Oakland area to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff,” the public safety alert said.

The exact nature of the threat and hospital being targeted has not been disclosed.

The City Bureau of Police announced Tuesday night that it is also aware of a threat made online to commit a hate crime in the Pittsburgh area. Police spokesperson Chris Togneri said in a statement that the City police Intelligence Unit and its law enforcement partners are actively investigating a threat.

UPMC, which operates several hospitals within the City, tweeted Thursday night it is aware of a tweet “directed to an undisclosed Pittsburgh-area hospital,” and is cooperating with federal and local law enforcement.

“We take the safety and security of the staff, patients and visitors within our facilities seriously,” UPMC said in the tweet. “UPMC Police and Security are aware of the threat and are working to ensure that our hospitals remain safe and open to take care of our communities.”

WXPI said more than a dozen people have sent them the social media post in question. 

“We are not posting the details at this time, except that it involved local hospitals,” the television station said.

All law enforcement agencies have urged citizens to speak up and call 911 if they see anything suspicious.