THURSDAY, April 27 — Palo Alto police today arrested a 17-year-old boy on suspicion of posting a note on the door of a classroom at Palo Alto High School threatening a shooting.
On Tuesday morning, a teacher arriving at school found the note taped to the front door of the classroom. A final exam was scheduled to take place that morning in the same classroom.
The school went on lockdown while police looked for shooter, but they didn’t find anyone.
Police continued to investigate the case to find the person who posted the note.
Today they identified a 17-year-old boy — a Palo Alto High School student — was the suspect.
Officers arrested the boy for criminal threats, a felony, and released him to the custody of his parents.
Police said Thursday there is no evidence that the boy ever had access to a gun.
12:42 p.m. Tuesday — The threat that led to a shelter-in-place order at Palo Alto High School this morning was a note taped to a classroom door threatening to “shoot up” the classroom, police said.
The episode began at 8:57 a.m., when police got a call from an administrator at Paly reporting the note.
A teacher arrived at school and discovered a written threat taped to the front door of a classroom. The person who left the note said they intended to “shoot up” the classroom later in the morning, according to police. It should be noted that a final examination was scheduled to occur later that morning in that same classroom.
Police in collaboration with school administrators decided to place the campus into a shelter-in-place status as a precaution while the investigation unfolded. At the conclusion of the investigation, school officials lifted the shelter-in-place at about 10:30 a.m.
Police said officers are actively investigating the incident; it is possible that once a suspect is identified that person could face criminal charges.
Police will have officers on or near the campus for the remainder of the school day to help students and staff feel safe and secure.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 10:33 a.m. — Palo Alto police this morning sent officers to Palo Alto High School to investigate a written threat found in a classroom. Police said there was no active emergency and everyone is safe. But as a precaution, students were told to stay in their classrooms. Police said they will release more information later.
Why not rip the note off the door and tell the kids that their exam will go on as scheduled? Why give in to people like this? Their only power is disrupting the lives of others by making threats.
Cause nowadays you just Don’t know
All that money we’ve spent on mental health counselors is paying off!