Al Madinah School on Tuesday. Photo: Maia Ingoe/RNZ
Police are refusing to confirm if a threatening video sent to a muslim school in south Auckland was sent from within New Zealand.
Al Madinah School and Zayed College in Māngere have re-opened after being forced to close on Monday because a video of a man with guns, shooting randomly, was sent to the principal of Al Madinah School on Sunday night.
A private security company operating at At Madinah and the school's assistant principal told RNZ the email was sent from an overseas location.
Both schools re-opened on Tuesday with the assistance of a private security company and police presence.
Police say inquiries are ongoing but they will not comment on the source of the video.
Zayed College. Photo: Calvin Samuel/RNZ
"We appreciate these situations can be distressing for those within our Muslim communities and police take them seriously," a police statement read.
"Police are working alongside our ethnic liaison officers to provide continued support and reassurance to the community during this time."
Speaking to Midday Report, assistant principal Mohammed Hussein said the school had a briefing with police on Monday.
Threat sent to Auckland schools came from overseas
He said it was confirmed the video was not sent from within New Zealand.
"Our first priority is making sure the current staff and children at school are safe. As far as the investigation is concerned they are doing their bit and whatever they need from us we are more than happy to help them out with that."
He said the closure was scary for parents, but the school has taken extra steps to provide reassurance.
"They were apprehensive and quite panicking, because of the fact the Muslim community itself has previously experienced this trauma. However, we've taken precautions and with getting the police involved quickly, the community itself is feeling quite safe."
This is the first time the school has received a threat, Hussein said.
"I don't think we are different to any other school in New Zealand, in terms of [risks]. I believe in the country we live in, we feel very safe here, we feel like the country wants the security to be the upmost importance, and we feel very safe."
A parent dropping her daughter off to Al Madinah school said the school being threatened was scary.
"It was really scary in the morning when the teachers said: 'Go, go, go, you have to go home'."
She said she was reassured by the security, police and school's efforts.
"The school teachers, they called and they took my daughter's name and then said how they are and if they are coming to school or not. So my daughter was quite confident to come back to school."
Another parent dropping their child at school said the threat was "quite scary".
He said the school has been "quite informative" and that had been reassuring.