MANTECA, Calif. — With the new school year barely starting, several campuses in Northern California have already experienced online threats.
An incident in Roseville sent students home early due threats against their school found on social media. Police ultimately said the threat was not credible.
It follows a separate incident in Manteca.
"As soon as the principal was made aware of it, she reported it immediately. And we instantly notified the sheriff's department who began their investigation alongside of us, and were able to respond fairly quickly, even though it was outside of school hours," said Victoria Brunn, spokesperson for Manteca Unified School District.
On Saturday, administrators at Nile Garden Elementary School were alerted to an imposter TikTok account, showing a video referencing a gun and a digital rendering of the school campus.
"We alerted the community on a Saturday evening, as to what occurred that afternoon while working with the sheriff's department in this particular case, and they were able to make decisions for school on Monday," said Brunn. "And enforcement was there to support just in the event as a cautionary measure."
The threat wasn't credible. The district said law enforcement officers visited several students' homes to do interviews. The fake account was also reported to TikTok and removed.
"We encourage families to have open lines of communication, we encourage them to engage in the conversation, to ask questions to find out what their student, their child, is viewing on social media, (and) what they're participating in," said Brunn.
The district also partners and trains with local and state police forces and a network of schools across California to look out for and respond to school threats.
"Students need to feel when they're coming to school, that they're coming to school to achieve academically, to find enrichment in the environment and to not be in a constant state of worry. And that's what we drill. That's why we practice and that's why we're ready for a response when it's needed," said Brunn.
Manteca Unified's TikTok guide is available HERE.
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