Student Detained For Making Online Threats Against Palo Alto's Gunn High
PALO ALTO (CBS SF) -- A 17-year-old student has been detained in connection with online threats made about a school shooting at Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Alto police announced Friday.
Police said that on Thursday night officers learned of an anonymous online threat to conduct a shooting at the school on Friday. They were able to track down and identify the suspect hours later, arresting the student early Friday at their home.
The student was taken into custody for a mental health evaluation and may ultimately face criminal charges.
The tip about the threat was received by email via the department's TipNow system.
Investigators said the threat had been submitted anonymously online to be considered for publication on a public Facebook group. The moderators of the group saw the submission and forwarded it to police. The threat was never posted on the Facebook group page.
Police said the threat referenced the author being a student at the high school and also referenced the student was in possession of a handgun and wanted to shoot students.
During a search of the student's home, police located a realistic-looking replica handgun that shoots BBs in the student's bedroom.