Violent threats against California schools are trending on social media
A nationwide social media trend that threatened schools on Friday affected several school districts in Northern California.
Around 7:30 a.m., the main office of the Tamalpais Union High School District in Marin County received a text threat threatening violence, prompting the district to cancel classes at all of its locations in the North Bay.
The five schools in the district quickly vacated their buildings and called the local police department after learning of the danger. The threat, according to district officials, did not specify the school or target location. Although they did not identify the threat, a representative did inform KTVU that there was no threat of gunfire.
At the time, district officials said that when they closed the schools, pupils should stay at home and those who were en route or on campus should go back home.
A few hours later, district officials declared that all schools and offices within their jurisdiction had been searched and cleared by police, giving the all-clear.
On the opposite side of the North Bay, Fairfield police claimed they were not credible and that they were aware of the social media pattern of threats to schools, along with the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District.
“Despite the social media post’s circulation in Fairfield and other Bay Area communities, there’s no credible connection to our local community or FSUSD schools,” police in Fairfield stated.
Officers and district staff were there, according to police, even though the threat seemed implausible.
Vacaville police said that threats were made against Vacaville Unified District Schools in Solano County as well.
In response to the worries, district superintendent Ed Santopadre stated that the district carefully collaborated with the Vacaville police and determined that the threats were also implausible.
Santopadre wrote to community residents, “Unfortunately, a national social media trend involving alleged threats to school campuses is impacting schools across the country.”
The San Jose Police Department reports that just after seven in the morning, someone in the South Bay threatened Mt. Pleasant High School in San Jose on social media. At the school, police increased patrol checks.
A notification alerting authorities about the pattern endangering schools was issued by Sacramento police outside the Bay Area. Shortly before 11 a.m. in Tracy, North School received a bomb threat, according to police.
Following a search, police who were conducting security checks on campus determined that the threat was unfounded.
“These threats are against the law, and anyone making any threats will be disciplined and prosecuted to the highest extent of the law,” police in Tracy stated.
Violence against the Casa Grande and Petaluma High Schools was threatened earlier in the week, allegedly on Friday afternoon.
Despite receiving multiple reports, police stated they did not believe the threat to be real.
In a statement released on Wednesday night, the department stated, “Aside from the social media post, there has been no information that leads us to believe that the threat is credible.” “However, the Petaluma Police Department treats all threats seriously and will be diligently investigating the incident thoroughly.”
Every school participating received an additional police presence from the Petaluma Police Department.
KTVU’s request for comment was not immediately answered by the Vacaville Unified School District, Tracy Unified School District, East Side Union High School District, or Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District.
Reports on this topic originated in Oakland, California.
The Source- The Tamalpais Union High School District, Bay City News, the Sacramento, Vacaville, Fairfield, San Jose, and Tracy Police Departments provided information for this report.
