MODESTO, Calif. — As students return to school this year, there has been a surge of shooting threats across the country.
It comes in the wake of the very real, deadly attack at Appalachee High School in Winder Georgia. But according to police in Modesto, the threats circulating its schools appear to be part of a statewide "hoax or scam."
A Modesto High School student was arrested Monday for spreading one of those threats, along with a picture of a gun.
In a lot of cases, the students behind the threats think it's just a prank or a joke, said Modesto Police Lt. Kalani Souza.
"They have to understand the unintended consequences of this," Souza said.
Those consequences include the spread of panic or fear; one school closed for an entire day of classes.
"We've seen other cases, and specifically this case, where parents didn't feel safe sending their kids to school," Souza said.
There are also the personal consequences for students caught sharing the threats.
In the Modesto case, the student was booked into juvenile hall and could face additional disciplinary action from the school.
Also on Monday, a 16-year-old Lincoln Unified School District student was also likely to face charges for threatening posts on social media. The student was arrested by Stockton Police Department.
These kinds of threats have increased, according to Mark Dennings, Chief Deputy District Attorney in San Joaquin County.
According to Dennings, threats are most common at the start of the school year, when students are facing the stress of a new environment.
"Elementary school to junior high to high school, it does have an effect," Dennings said.
Parents can help by talking to kids, being a part of their lives and monitoring what their kids are up to online as law enforcement continues to do its part, he said.
"Whether it's a credible threat, a joke, it doesn't matter, it will be investigated, and at the top of the list is the safety of all the kids," Dennings said.
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