Authorities identify suspect who made threat that locked down Atascadero High School, school to remain closed for the day
ATASCADERO, Calif. – Atascadero High School will be closed for all of Thursday after the Atascadero Unified School District was made aware of and investigated a potential school threat, according to the superintendent's office.
The Atascadero PoliceDepartment learned of a threat made by a student on SnapChat on Wednesday night showing a video racking a shot gun, according to Atascadero Deputy City Manager Terrie Banish.
The investigation found that the subject lived in the rural county and outside of city limits, so the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office was requested to make contact with the juvenile and his parents, Banish said.
Deputies made contact and confirmed that the weapon was secure and no longer accessible to the student.
The police department notified the school district prior to school opening on Thursday, and out of an abundance of precaution, the district immediately placed the high school on lockdown just before 8:30 a.m.
In a message communicated to the district community, Superintendent Thomas Butler said that the district "will be pursuing full legal and educational consequence to whoever is responsible."
All students were sent home for the day while police investigate, and the school will remain closed for the remainder of Thursday.
The police department and sheriff's deputies interviewed the involved parties involved in the incident, and the investigation revealed that "the original SnapChat posting was made to a specific individual and never made towards the school," Banish said.
"From that point, the post was shared amongst friends and then it was broadcast from there," she added.
The investigation remains ongoing, and any applicable charges will be submitted to the District Attorney's Office for review, Banish said.
Anyone with further information about the investigation is encouraged to contact the Atascadero Police Department's non-emergency line at 805-461-5051.
