A California police department released a notice Wednesday that it was conducting a terrorist threats and hate crime investigation into the threat of a school shooting.
American High School in Fremont, California, notified the Fremont Police Department on Wednesday around 9:44 a.m. that a student was threatening the school on social media, according to the department statement.
The Patrol and School Resource Officers‘ (SROs) preliminary investigation found the student’s posts had threatened to shoot a school employee and contained racial slurs. SROs, working alongside the Fremont Unified School District (FUSD), located the student with his parents off of school property, the police said.
Terrorist threats and hate crime investigation – https://t.co/rjPNlvEkKT pic.twitter.com/LyxrAsVspR
— Fremont Police Department (@FremontPD) May 26, 2022
Police arrested the 17-year-old male for felony terrorist threats and a hate crime. The suspect’s identity will not be released and he will be housed at juvenile hall because he is still a minor, according to the police statement. (RELATED: Texas Gunman Was In The Classroom For Half An Hour Before Law Enforcement Stormed In. Why?)
The parents of a concerned student who knew about the threats alerted the school of the possible violence. Police said that multiple students were involved in the social media conversation, but “the student who was arrested made direct threats of gun violence.”
“The student also made comments about committing additional gun violence at an unnamed secondary school. At this time, we believe that only the arrested student had made any threats of gun violence,” the police said. “The investigation is ongoing to determine if there are other victims or potential charges on other subjects involved. All other involved students have been identified and are currently being addressed by FUSD staff. ”
Law enforcement served a search warrant at the teenager’s home, where police collected evidence but did not find a firearm, according to the statement.
Fremont Police Chief Sean Washington praised the detectives and SROs who successfully investigated the direct threat of violence. Washington also thanked the parents and the student who alerted the school of the dangers.
“The Fremont Police Department is committed to the safety of our community and schools. Considering recent events, I want to ensure the public that school safety is our top priority. I have directed additional patrol checks towards all school campuses, including resources from specialized units,” said Washington.
FUSD Superintendent CJ Cammack released a statement Wednesday, calling the hateful social media messages a “dishonor” on the entire school community. Cammack said the school district will offer support and counseling for those directly affected by the threats of violence.
“As always, we encourage you to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement, and school administration and to seek counseling support for students at their schools as needed,” Cammack said. “In this difficult time, it will be imperative that we keep communication lines open, and work together toward building a stronger, more united community, where every single student and staff member is safe and feels appreciated.”