‘One of our worst fears as a parent.’ SLO County high schools sheltered in place after threat
Two Nipomo high schools lifted a lockdown on Thursday afternoon after the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said no credible threat had been found on either campus.
On Thursday morning, Nipomo High School contacted law enforcement to report a threat that was “general in nature and not directed at any one person at school,” a news release from the Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies arrived at the campus located at 525 Thompson Avenue in Nipomo at 9:30 a.m. to investigate the threat.
Nipomo High School and the adjacent Central Coast New Tech High School sheltered in place while sheriff’s deputies, detectives and K9s, the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office searched the campuses.
“Following an exhaustive search by law enforcement, the threat was deemed not credible,” the release said.
The lockdown was lifted at about 3:06 p.m., according to an email from Lucia Mar Unified School District spokesperson Amy Jacobs.
Investigation into the incident was ongoing and no further information was available as of Thursday afternoon, the release said.
Students and teachers stood near the Central Coast New Tech High School office while sheltering in place on Sept. 19, 2024.
Law enforcement conducted a ‘full sweep’ of campus
Law enforcement conducted a “full sweep of the campus” on Thursday, Jacobs wrote in an email.
“This is a lengthy process, but student and staff safety remain a top priority for us,” she said during the lockdown at 11:40 a.m.
Outside the campus, a CHP officer blocked people from accessing the schools.
“We’re just here to support, to know who’s going in, who’s going out,” CHP Officer Kaleo Clissold told The Tribune at the scene.
At about 12:15 p.m., law enforcement allowed parents to pick up their children from two preschools behind Nipomo High School, CHP Officer Anthony Ingram said. An officer escorted those parents on and off campus.
Students sheltering in place in the high schools were served lunch on campus while waiting to be released, Jacobs said in an email at 12:56 p.m.
“The majority of students have been fed and the rest are getting fed now,” Jacobs said. “Students are able to be escorted to use the restroom.”
Nipomo High School sheltered in place on Sept. 19, 2024, after the school received an anonymous threat.
Mallory Ponder stood across the street from Nipomo High School waiting for her son to be released from the shelter in place on Thursday afternoon.
“It’s one of our worst fears as a parent … for our kids to be locked in campus and us not really having any outside information,” she said.
Ponder said she didn’t appreciate the way the school handled the incident, noting she was not allowed to remove her son from campus and the school did not share information with her about the threat, she said.
“I’m honestly questioning whether to pull my son out,” she said.
Nipomo High School and Central Coast New Tech High School lifted the shelter in place around 3:06 p.m. when law enforcement determined there was no credible threat on campus.
“After school release and pickup will proceed as usual today,” Jacobs said in an email. “Athletics and after school activities will continue as scheduled. Any sports that had early departures scheduled for today will be rescheduled.”
Law enforcement remained on campus on Thursday afternoon as a precaution, she said.
“We recognize that today has been difficult and we truly appreciate your support as we prioritize the safety of our students and staff,” Jacobs said. “We take any threat seriously and we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to aid in their investigation.”
Parents wait to pick up their children from Nipomo High School on Sept. 19, 2024. The school sheltered in place after receiving an anonymous threat.
Threat investigation at another Central Coast high school
The Santa Maria Police Department investigated a threat to Santa Maria High School early Thursday morning, the agency said in a Facebook post.
At about 12 a.m. on Thursday, the FBI notified police about a threat to the high school circulating on social media.
Police contacted a 14-year-old student involved with the social media post and investigated “the validity of the threat,” the post said.
“It was later determined that the photograph used in the post was recirculated from Google and was not taken by the student,” the post said.
Law enforcement “determined there was no credible threat against the school.”
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