The threat was as ominous as it was specific.
More than 24-hours after somebody warned that they should shoot people at Weston Ranch High School on Friday, both the Stockton Police Department and the Stockton Unified School District police division are still trying to determine who sent the threat, whether it was legitimate, or whether it was a hoax.
Manteca Unified School District, which operates the high school as well as the elementary school sites in the South Stockton Community, is currently working with both investigating agencies to ensure the safety of all students on Friday. It has plans to beef up security by placing more uniformed officers and staff personnel on campus – a process that began on Wednesday to determine the source and help calm fears spreading around the school community.
And they aren’t taking too kindly to the threat.
“The district takes threats to our schools very seriously,” Manteca Unified Superintendent Jason Messer wrote in a statement released on Wednesday. “Weston Ranch High School administration will impose the strongest penalty within our jurisdiction on the perpetrator, including removal and expulsion, if the individual is identified as a student.
“We will press criminal charges against any individual who makes threats against our schools.”
The district, who is fully supporting both the Stockton and Stockton Unified police departments as they run parallel investigations, has already made sure that law enforcement presence is increased on campus and has sent additional staff to ensure student safety.
By Wednesday afternoon the district had used its dissemination of emergency information platform to issue three alerts about the developing situation – including Messer’s statement, a note from the Weston Ranch principal, and the initial post by the Stockton Police Department.
While the social media threat, which was announced in a Facebook post by the Stockton Police Department Tuesday night, has yet to be confirmed, some parents in responding to the initial information have said that they’ll keep their kids out of school Friday out of an abundance of caution.
“This Friday, March 23rd, me and my friend will shoot Weston Ranch High School and we won’t stop until we see bodies on the floor,” read the chilling social media post – in white letters on a plain black background. “I already know how lockdown procedures work.”
The post was shared widely across social media on Wednesday as a way to warn parents about the situation.
The threat marks the third time in a month that the Stockton Police Department has had to investigate a threat against a high school within their jurisdiction after a pair of threats were made by Venture Academy students in late February and early March. In both instances the students were arrested, and a search of their homes returned no weapons that could be used to carry out the threats.
Anybody with information regarding school threats is encouraged to call the Stockton Police Department at 209.937.8377 or Crime Stoppers at 209.946.0600.
People may also use the text message feature on their cell phones to leave tips by texting “Crimes” (274637), typing the keyword TIPSPD and then their tip, or by visiting the Stockton Police Department’s Facebook page and clicking on the “Submit a Tip” link. The Stockton Police Department’s mobile phone app is also accepting tips, and all tipsters can remain anonymous.
For additional emergency updates from Manteca Unified School District, visit www.mantecausd.net/departments/public-alert – a system that will be updated as more information becomes available.

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