Courtesy of the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office:
The Sheriff’s Office was contacted by staff at San Juan Elementary School regarding rumors of a young student who made statements he was going to shoot students at the school.
Our deputies were on scene at the school at 7 a.m. Tuesday, ensuring the students and staff were safe, then conducted an investigation. During this time, some adults took to social media to further the rumors of the threats, creating concern for many families and children. At the conclusion of a four-hour investigation, where many possible witnesses and the child suspected of the threats were interviewed, we determined the threats were not substantiated.
This was a case of many levels of hearsay and rumor. There are no witnesses to any student ever actually making a threat. The Sheriff’s Office takes every threat of violence seriously and all incidents are thoroughly investigated.
The school is working with the students and families to help calm fears. In the future, we ask all adults (and kids) to call the Sheriff’s Office with concerns and questions before making unfounded statements and accusations. Let’s work together to keep our community safe.
