A former student at a Menifee middle school is suspected of posting a message to social media threatening to perpetrate a shooting at the campus, but officials said Tuesday the threat was determined to be bogus.
According to the Menifee Police Department, about 9 a.m. Monday, the agency was alerted to threatening posts targeting Ethan A. Chase Middle School on Calm Horizon Drive.
Police spokesman Chase Coburn said officers went to the campus and spoke with staff, who issued a shelter-in-place order, with teachers and students remaining in classrooms while the investigation was conducted.
“Within hours, officers were able to identify a former student believed to be responsible for the online threat and found the male juvenile no longer resided in the city,” Coburn said. “Officers determined the threat was not credible, and the school was not in any imminent danger.”
The shelter-in-place order was lifted by Monday afternoon.
Law enforcement officials in the city where the suspect now resides were notified about the boy’s activity, along with administrators at his current school and his parents, according to Coburn.
The youth’s identity was not disclosed due to his age.
“The Menifee Police Department would like to remind the public that threats in our community will not be tolerated,” Coburn said. “We encourage parents to have conversations with their children about the severity of these types of threats and the importance of being responsible when using social media.”