LA VERNE, Calif.—Several Southern California schools, including some Catholic campuses, were closed for the day Oct. 16 while authorities investigated an apparent wave of threats that were later determined not credible.
According to a statement from the La Verne Police Department (LVPD), Damien High School was evacuated and closed for the day on Monday morning “for what has now been determined to be a non-credible threat from overseas.
“Earlier this morning, the La Verne Police Department notified the Bonita Unified School District that Damien High School was being evacuated and closed for the remainder of the day in response to a threat against private schools in the area,” police said.
“Following further investigation, the threat appears to have come from overseas and has been deemed not credible by LVPD,” police said. “Bonita Unified schools will remain open.”
A school in Claremont reportedly also received an unfounded threat Monday, as did Catholic schools in Compton and Lancaster, according to various reports.
“This morning a few of our Catholic schools along with other non-Catholic schools received a spam email threatening school safety that is similar to an email distributed to schools and institutions in Europe last week that was found to be not credible and meant to cause disruption, panic and fear,” the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said in a statement Monday.
“The schools that received the email canceled classes for the day out of an abundance of caution while the matter was being investigated,” according to the archdiocese. “The archdiocese is working with law enforcement and there is no evidence of a credible threat at our schools. All Catholic schools in the archdiocese have been asked to follow our usual safety protocols.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department increased its patrols around area schools as a result of the threats.
The department “is aware of the online threats to schools in LA County,” according to the agency. “LA County sheriff’s stations will conduct patrol checks at local schools throughout the day. We will continue to monitor and provide future information as it becomes available.”
