Columbine Christian School in Durango closed for the day Tuesday after someone posted a threatening message on the school’s Facebook page.

The message, posed at 12:32 a.m., threatened to “shoot the place up,” said Dan Bender, spokesman with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating.

A school official read the message about 4:30 a.m., and the school canceled classes as a precaution.

In a statement sent to parents, Principal Jeni Cox wrote: “As the safety of our students and staff is paramount to us, we have taken the precaution of canceling school today.”

Columbine Christian School, at 1775 Florida Road, is a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade private school with 44 students.

Similar threats have been made nationwide by people targeting specific schools or Jewish churches, Bender said. Investigators are unsure if the message originated locally or outside the region.

The Facebook page where the message originated appears to have been created specifically to send the message; it didn’t have any history or photos that are common with most Facebook accounts, Bender said.

“We don’t know if it’s something similar to what’s being circulated nationwide recently or if it’s a local source, and that’s what we’re investigating,” he said.

School resources officers will assist with security for the next few days, Bender said.

Efforts to reach the school or the principal Tuesday were unsuccessful.

shane@durangoherald.com