An anonymous threat that there would be a shooting at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks Monday prompted cancellation of classes for the day, but a search of the campus turned up nothing hazardous.
Worried law enforcement officers did find suspicious item, but a bomb squad determined the item was not dangerous. However, nearby Ventura (101) freeway ramps were shut down for about an hour during the morning rush hour.
“Early this morning Notre Dame High School received an anonymous, threatening email,” according to a statement on the school’s website. “It was reported to the LAPD. As a result of the precautionary police activity, Notre Dame High School will not conduct classes today. We expect classes to resume as scheduled tomorrow morning.”
Officer Irma Mota, of the Los Angeles Police Department, said the email threatened that there would be a shooting at the campus.
“We investigated, and no credible threat was found,” Mota said.
A bomb squad was sent to the campus at 13645 Riverside Drive about 8:30 a.m. to check out an unattended item that turned out to be a lunch box. A search of the entire campus turned up nothing hazardous, Mota said.
As a precaution, the California Highway Patrol closed the Woodman Avenue offramps from the Ventura (101) Freeway to limit traffic from accessing the neighborhood where the school is located. The ramps were reopened after about an hour.
Some students and faculty went to the campus, which officially had been closed for the day, and were ordered to shelter in place while the investigation was conducted, police said. The school is a co-ed Catholic facility with about 1300 students.
—City News Service