Carlsbad High School shooting threat closes campus

In the first school week of January, Carlsbad High School students were released from class due to a school shooting threat.

The threat, made by a student who threatened to carry out a shooting rampage at 11:30 a.m that Monday, or 10:20 a.m that Tuesday, was posted to Instagram at 9 a.m. on Monday.

Classes the following Tuesday were cancelled once police received a report from a fellow student.After the students were released, the Superintendent of the Carlsbad Unified School District tweeted, “Everyone is safe.”

On that Tuesday, Carlsbad police arrested a 15-year-old student under suspicion that she was the one who made the threat. The news of her arrest was not announced until that Wednesday. The police found no indication that this teenage would carry out the threat.

In light of this incident, MC is reminded of last year, when an anonymous student made a bomb threat.

Precautions were taken, security was brought in to ensure that the students were safe, and the police were called.

All schools practice drills just in case one day, a gunman approaches the campus. In the event of the unthinkable occurring, MC’s security team knows what will happen.

“We immediately lock everything down,” security guard Warren Johnson said. “We shut every window, lock every door, let no one in. Everyone goes in their classes and  stays in until the police arrive. That is about the only thing that could be done.”

Everyday at MC, there is a rotation of staff to protect campus.

“We cover both gates as campus security, we’re pretty secure here,” campus security guard Jennifer Adelman said. “All of the other gates are locked.”

Not only are all the school gates monitored, the halls are as well.

“We also have three campus security guards that roam constantly  during the periods,” Adelman said.

In the event that any threats are made toward a school, the district takes the lead.

“Protocol would probably start at district,” Adelman said. “The district would decide whether to close campus for the day, or to send the kids home. We also would do anything here to investigate any validity to the threat.”

And no threat towards the school is taken lightly.

“We also bring in local outside law enforcement to help with the situation,” Adelman said.

If anything ever were to happen, we can rest assured that MC security will do their best to keep our campus secure.