Gun threat at Valley Stream's Willow Road School deemed a hoax by police. What you need to know.

Willow Road Elementary School briefly went into lockdown Monday morning after a gun threat that police later confirmed was a hoax.

The lockdown occurred shortly after students arrived, according to Superintendent Judith LaRocca. The school's main office received a call reporting an individual with a firearm outside the building, prompting the school district's emergency system. During a lockdown, all doors are secured, and students and staff remain in locked rooms until the situation is resolved.

As a precaution, three nearby schools — James A. Dever, Howell, and Wheeler — were placed on lockout, meaning no one could enter or leave the buildings.

Police arrived swiftly, determined there was no credible threat, and lifted the lockdown. By 9:15 a.m., the lockout was also cleared at all schools.

Superintendent LaRocca indicated the call was likely part of a growing wave of “swatting” calls — bogus threats designed to provoke a heavy police response at a certain location — both across the county and the country. Nassau County police had issued an alert that morning about multiple school threats, all of which were deemed unfounded.