Another day, another school shooting threat has been made at a Manteca Unified school campus.
The Manteca Police Department is currently searching for tips as to who may have been responsible for writing that was discovered inside of a stall door at a bathroom on the East Union High School campus on April 16 that claimed that there would be a school shooting on May 24.
During the course of the investigation, officers learned that the writing had actually been discovered by a student last week, but it was not reported at the time – meaning that officers don’t currently know when the message was left, or the intentions of the person who left it.
The investigation is currently a “priority” for officers, and is ongoing.
Earlier this week officers arrested a 14-year-old Manteca High student who made a comment on a social media platform that she would shoot up the campus – a message that was screenshotted by a student and shared with the School Resource Officer. The girl, whose name was not released because of her age, was charged with a felony count of making terrorist threats and was transported to the San Joaquin County Juvenile Justice Center.
The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s confirmed that while the juvenile female claimed that the post was a “joke,” they take threats of school violence seriously, and will prosecuting her for making them.
Last month, three Weston Ranch teenagers posted multiple messages on social media that claimed that they would shoot up the school and wouldn’t stop until they saw “bodies on the floor.”
After the first threat was posted to social media on March 20, investigators learned that a second threat was posted in a similar fashion the following day – eventually being able to identify a 14-year-old Weston Ranch High School student as the perpetrator of the initial threat. Detectives were then able to identify a 15-year-old former Weston Ranch High School student as well as a 14-year-old One Ambition Manteca student that made the second threat.
All three suspects were taken into custody at their homes and booked at the San Joaquin County Juvenile Justice Center. A search of each of the residences turned up no weapons.
With the scarce details in the East Union case and the fact that at least a week passed without the scrawled message being reported, the Manteca Police are requesting that anybody who sees or hears of a threat against a school take the matter seriously and report it to authorities so that it can be investigated.
Anybody with any information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Manteca Police Department at 209.456.8101 or submit a tip through the Manteca Police Department app. When calling or leaving a tip, refer to case number 2018-14416.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.