More threats emerge in wake of high school bomb scare in Petaluma

Casa Grande High School officials on Friday morning confirmed new threats against the school campus, calling the new developments “heartbreaking” in the wake of a bomb threat that set the campus community on edge Thursday.

In an email sent shortly after 8 a.m. Friday, Casa Grande Principal Dan Ostermann said the new threats appear to have grown out of an online discussion about the previous bomb scare, which warned of a 12:15 p.m. Thursday attack on the school’s cafeteria.

“Allegedly, multiple students were seen talking online about yesterday’s incident and then making threats of their own related to where they would hide a bomb at the school and bringing weapons to the school,” Ostermann said in the email. “We take any and all threats to our school seriously and are investigating these statements in partnership with the Petaluma Police Department.”

Ostermann said the online forum allows police to follow up directly with those involved in the new threats against the campus, which remains open as the investigation continues.

The development comes just one day after the 1,600-student campus was rocked by the specter of a bomb threat targeting the school’s cafeteria. The threat, which was made anonymously and could not be corroborated, nevertheless prompted a heavy law enforcement presence, including bomb-sniffing dogs that were deployed at the school.

It also prompted backlash from students, parents and staff members, who argued the school and district should have communicated earlier about the original threat, which was made via the anti-bullying app, STOPit, shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday. School officials first detailed the threat in messaging sent out mid-morning Thursday.

District leaders have since acknowledged missteps in communication, and Petaluma City Schools Superintendent Matthew Harris promised better communication in the future.

In his email Friday morning, Ostermann said although school officials could not confirm the validity of the threats, administrators did want to inform the community of the issue, and Ostermann reiterated the school’s collaboration with police to look into the incident.

“It’s heartbreaking that students in our community are behaving in this way, and we need to be asking ourselves what has created this situation,” Ostermann said. “At the same time, we will be doing everything we can to support students who are feeling anxious or scared right now. We truly believe that there is a place for everyone in the Big House, and we have work to do to make sure that everyone feels safe and connected in our school community.”

*This is a developing story, and it may be updated.