Social media threats at Edison High still circulating. Fresno police increase presence
Social media threats of violence against students at Edison High School lingered Friday as Fresno police continued an investigation, officials said.
Police beefed up their presence on campus after a Wednesday night threat to shoot people and officers said Thursday they detained a 14-year-old connected to the post.
Similar threats began to make the rounds on Thursday night, according to Nikki Henry, a spokesperson for Fresno Unified School District.
“Fresno PD is aware and the investigation is open and active,” Henry said in an email to The Bee on Friday morning.
“It’s been re-posted so many times it’s difficult to identify the original source, so anyone with knowledge of the original poster is encouraged to share that with the police.”
She said extra police and safety personnel were at Edison.
Lt. Bill Dooley on Friday morning said police believe the threat was not new but rather more of the original threat from Wednesday night, which was deemed not viable.
He confirmed police presence would be increased, but stopped short of being specific. “If there is any legitimacy behind this threat, we would not want to release our tactical plan,” he said in a text message to The Bee.
Dooley said Friday that police would not say whether the 14-year-old was an Edison student and if he had access to a gun as the investigation is ongoing.
The 14-year-old was contacted by police at his home, police said.
Edison High’s attendance was lower than usual Thursday after the post was passed around. Henry said 20% of students were absent.
She said email notifications of the incident went out to school staffers and parents before 8 a.m., and staffers were updated about 11:45 a.m.
School shootings have become a more common sight in the U.S. in recent years. A report from Everytown for Gun Safety showed there were 193 school shootings in the last school year, which was more than double the previous year.
Hoaxes have not been uncommon. Schools in Fresno, Clovis and several other California cities have been victims to hoax calls in recent weeks.
Fresno police responded to another shooting threat reported at Bullard High School earlier this month that proved to be a hoax. Schools in Santa Barbara, Stockton, Chula Vista and Santa Rosa also received similar hoax calls.
Clovis High received a “suspicious phone call” last week that prompted officials to order students to shelter in classrooms as police officers investigated the campus. No credible threat against the school was found.
This story was originally published September 30, 2022 at 8:59 AM.
