Sutter Middle School in Sacramento reports second threat this week, principal says
Sutter Middle School received another reported threat Thursday morning, the school’s principal said in a message to families, marking the second such incident in four days at the East Sacramento campus.
Principal Cristin Tahara, in a series of emails to parents throughout the school day Thursday, said administrators and law enforcement have determined that threats made via social media and that prompted police response Monday and Thursday were not credible. Tahara described the threats as a hoax perpetrated by a “small group of students.”
Authorities believe that group of students, which Tahara said included one student from a different school, created a fake social media account and impersonated another Sutter Middle student to make the threats, Tahara said in an email Thursday afternoon. Tahara did not identify the other involved school.
“Unfortunately, we are investigating another threat that just came to my attention,” Tahara wrote in an email sent to parents earlier, at 8 a.m. Thursday. “We believe that these threats are a result of a fake social media account and aimed to implicate student attacks.”
The school at 3150 I St. was put on a precautionary lockdown Monday following a threat, Tahara told parents in an email Monday afternoon. Sacramento police responded to the school Monday and did not locate a credible threat, Tahara said, and normal instruction resumed.
In an update just after 10 a.m., Tahara said school officials and law enforcement determined it is safe to “conduct normal school activities through the remainder of the day,” and that instruction would continue Thursday with police a “visible presence through dismissal” at the campus.
Tahara in another update sent just before 11:15 a.m. said the school is working with the district’s office of safe schools “to determine appropriate safety response for the remainder of the school year.” The principal also said support staff are on campus Thursday to provide services for those experiencing anxiety or trauma.
Tahara’s emails on Thursday did not describe the threat further, but said police and school officials were working to determine the threat’s credibility and whether it was connected to Monday’s incident.
Detectives are investigating threats made on social media against the campus, the Sacramento Police Department said in a statement, and officers are working with school staff on safety measures.
Sacramento City Unified School District spokesman Alexander Goldberg in an emailed response referred requests for comment to the Police Department.
“We take all threats seriously and are following protocols and thoroughly investigating,” Tahara’s first email Thursday morning continued.
Tahara in her messages to parents said anyone found to be making threats would not be allowed to return to school for the rest of this school year, “in addition to any consequences they may face from law enforcement.”
The school adjourns next week for summer break, with the last day of school on June 15.
This story was originally published June 8, 2023 at 9:52 AM.
