School Threats A Daily Occurrence; Local Districts Concerned
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Since the tragedy at Oxford high school in Michigan schools in our area of Northern California have received numerous on-campus threats. Experts CBS13 spoke to call the threats "copy-cats."
Local school districts blame social media in part for perpetuating the on-campus violence and parents are terrified this may be the new normal.
For the week of December 6th CBS13 has been notified of a school threat every single day—Monday it was social media post targeting SACRAMENTO'S Smedburg Middle school.
"I came across a post that said basically they were threatening to bomb and shoot up the school," says Belen Vaca, who pulled her 7th grader out of her Smedburg Middle School class immediately.
"If she were to get killed or hurt. It's not worth it to me," says Vaca.
Tuesday December 7th, a social media threat to laguna creek high school in Elk Grove and Stagg High School in Stockton.
"This one is saying that there could be a shooting," says Stockton Unified School District spokesperson, Melinda Meza.
Wednesday, December 8th, a threatening text circulating at Kennedy high school in Sacramento, and finally, Thursday, a rumor of a gun on campus at Lincoln High School in Lincoln, the nightmare scenario for parents.
"He says mom we're in lockdown. There's a shooter on campus I'm in a classroom and I love you," says a Lincoln High School parent.
The week of violence terrifying to parents and school districts. CBS13 spoke to Stockton Unified – Stagg High Schools district, they're concerned social media may be perpetuating rumors.
"Although social media could be a good thing and help us communicate in a quicker way it also could be something where a student or teenager can make a threat and think it's fun," says Meza.
According to the National Non-Profit Educators School, Safety Network school shootings aren't common but threats are – especially soon after a national tragedy.
"There ends up being a lot of copycat people," says, Dr. Amy Klinger who explains it's not about reacting to threats – it's about preventing them.
"Doing mental health support doing crisis planning and response doing training for people," says Dr. Klinger.
Local school districts say regardless of threats or rumors, every violent action or threat will be taken seriously.