The Los Altos Police Department determined a shooting threat made against Los Altos High School Tuesday was just one of multiple hoax threats made against multiple local high schools.
In a message sent by LAHS principal Tracy Runeare to students in teacher-student communication app StudentSquare, she noted she was contacted by a veteran hotline that alleged someone had made shooting threats against LAHS.
“I received a call from the National Veterans and Military Crisis (NVMC) Center, based in New York, informing us that a person had made a threat against Los Altos High School through their chat platform,” she stated. “The crisis center mentioned that they have been receiving numerous similar calls.”
She promptly contacted Los Altos Police after receiving the NVMC call.
Police responded to the report at 11:37 a.m. Upon arrival, officers conducted a search of the whole campus.
“LAPD sent four officers, including a sergeant, to conduct a walkthrough of our school and verified that the campus was secure,” Runeare stated. “At no time was it determined that a shelter-in-place was warranted.”
Investigators promptly deemed the threat unsubstantiated based on the sender’s IP address (the identifying number for every device connected to the internet) and other factors.
“Investigators identified a pattern of similar threats targeting multiple local high schools,” Lee said in an email. “Furthermore, the threat originated from an IP address outside the region and was linked to another threat against a local high school, leading investigators to believe it lacked credibility.”
Runeare said LAPD determined the message originated from the same IP address that threatened local high schools including Gunn, Piedmont, Cupertino and Palo Alto high schools.
Fake threats can result in criminal prosecution, including locally, statewide and federally; investigators have not yet determined the identity of the threat perpetrator.
“The Department takes all threats seriously and is committed to ensuring the safety and security of our schools and community,” the press release read.
