Two separate callers phoned police dispatch this afternoon to report they had seen a person with a rifle walking towards Gunn High School, while the school received a bomb threat simultaneously. Investigators determined that the calls were hoaxes and are actively working to identify the suspects.
On Monday, April 22, 2024, at about 1:51 p.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call from a male caller who stated he had just seen a teen boy walking towards Gunn High School at 780 Arastradero Road with a rifle strapped to his back and carrying two pipe bombs. A second male caller stated he had seen a man in his twenties wearing body armor walking towards the school while carrying a rifle. Both callers provided information that led police believe it was possible the calls were hoaxes, but officers responded to the school immediately and treated the incident from the outset as though the calls were legitimate nonetheless.
At about 1:53 p.m., school administrators at Gunn High School received a phone call from a male caller who said he was on his way to the school with a bomb. That person identified himself with a name and date of birth that did not appear to correspond to a real person.
Police worked closely with school administrators and other school district officials to place the campus in a shelter-in-place status while officers conducted their investigation. Out of an abundance of caution, school district officials chose to place Fletcher Middle School at 655 Arastradero Road in a similar status due to its proximity to Gunn High School.
After a close review of surveillance camera footage and a thorough search of the campus turned up no evidence of any actual threat, police and school administrators lifted the shelter-in-place at about 3:40 p.m., ten minutes before the normal end of the school day. School district officials chose to lift the shelter-in-place at Fletcher Middle School earlier in the afternoon at the conclusion of their regular school day; there was never any evidence provided of any threat directed at that school.
Detectives are actively working on this case to identify the callers. It is unknown at this time if the calls were placed by the same person. Hoax threats and false reports of emergencies are not only criminal in nature, but they also create a great deal of stress and anxiety for students, parents, school staff, and the community in general. Anyone found responsible for such hoax calls can face criminal charges, as well as potential civil liability as a cost recovery measure for the law enforcement response.
Detectives are also working to see if this incident may be connected to a similar event reported today at a high school in Orinda.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call our 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984.
