Nature of Incident: Social Media School Threat Rumors
Report Number: N/A
Location: Nation-Wide
Date & Time: 12/16/2021, at 11:00 AM
Unit(s) Responsible: Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Special Crimes Unit
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
N/A N/A N/A
Narrative:
Ventura County Sheriff’s Intelligence Detectives have received information about a national trend of unsubstantiated threats circulating on social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, regarding mass school violence on Friday, December 17th. These threats are general in nature and lack specific threats or locations. We have received no threats against any schools in Ventura County. For many schools, December 17 is the last day of school prior to the start of winter break.
Social media users across multiple platforms, predominantly school-aged juveniles, have posted statements about their fear to attend school on December 17th due to these rumors. Such posts have been identified in multiple states across the country, however there is currently no information indicating the rumors are credible.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Special Crimes / Intelligence Unit is working in conjunction with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and our School Resource Officers to investigate this social media trend. Currently, no credible threats of related school violence have been identified within Ventura County. If any credible information is received, law enforcement will work with schools to notify parents, students, and staff directly. The Ventura County Office of Education also has information at: https://www.vcoe.org/news/ArticleID/4977/Schools-Respond-to-New-Social-Media-Threat
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to making schools and the learning experience safe for all members of the community. We encourage members of the public to report any suspicious or school threat-related communications to law enforcement or, in the event of an emergency, to call 9-1-1.
Prepared by: Detective Cliff Schwankl
News Release Date: 12/16/2021
Media Follow-Up Contact: Captain Cameron Henderson [email protected] 805-797-6394
Approved by: Captain Slominski
Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or at www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org
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