Three students were detained around 2:30 p.m. while they were in class, according to Capt. Jeremy Watney of the Tracy Police Department.
Two of the students are being charged with making terrorist threats and making a bomb threat — both felonies — and a misdemeanor charge of disrupting school, Watney said around 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
The third student was released when investigators determined the student was only a witness.
It’s believed that the threat was made in an effort to disrupt state-mandated testing being conducted this week.
Watney wouldn’t release the students’ names, genders or ages because they are minors.
Watney said the Tracy High case is under investigation, and declined to release any information about how the two students were connected to Wednesday’s threat.
He said investigators don’t believe the students are connected to a bomb threat at Kimball High on Thursday.
Students at Kimball High, 3200 Jaguar Run, were led to the stands at the school’s football stadium just before 1:30 p.m. following a phone call stating there was a bomb inside a school building, according to Jessica Cardoza, spokeswoman for Tracy Unified School District.
Cardoza said the phone call was received by an office employee at another school around 1:20 p.m. The district office was contacted, and the decision was “almost immediately made to evacuate,” she said.
Automated messages from TUSD were sent to parents with children at Kimball and Tracy highs on Thursday night, according to Cardoza.
The following is the exact text of the messages:
For Kimball High parents:
Good evening. This is an update to a previous message to Kimball High School families.
As you are aware, this afternoon, there was a bomb threat to Kimball High, which we did not believe to be credible, but must treat seriously and we responded rapidly. Students and staff were immediately evacuated to the stadium. Students and staff were safe at all times.
Tracy Police Department and a team of bomb-sniffing dogs have carefully inspected the campus. No explosive devices of any kind were found.
We want to remind our families that threats are not jokes. Threats are considered a felony, a crime punishable by imprisonment. In addition to criminal punishment, students who make false threats will be referred for expulsion from school. Also, school days lost due to closures from school threats may be required to be added to the end of the school year. For your information, the police have taken into custody three students who are believed to be responsible for yesterday’s threat at Tracy High School.
School will resume as usual on Friday, March 15. Students should attend school at the normal start time. The school is safe.
If you have any questions, please visit the district website at tracy.k12.ca.us.
Message to Tracy High parents:
Good evening. This is a message to Tracy High School families.
As you are aware, there was a bomb threat at Tracy High School Wednesday afternoon and students were immediately evacuated to Lincoln Park.
A bomb threat was received today, Thursday March 14th, at Tracy High just prior to dismissal time. District administration did not believe it was credible; however the school was closed immediately after the students were released at the regular dismissal time.
The Tracy High campus was not evacuated or in a lockdown during school today. Students and staff left immediately after the dismissal bell in a calm, orderly manner.
The campus is officially closed this evening. We will have bomb-sniffing dogs searching the entire campus before start of school tomorrow, Friday March 15th. School will resume as usual tomorrow. The school is safe.
The police have taken into custody three students who are believed to be responsible for yesterday’s threat at Tracy High.
We want to remind our families that threats are not jokes. Threats are considered a felony, a crime punishable by imprisonment. In addition to criminal punishment, students who make false threats will be referred for expulsion from school. Also, school days lost due to closures from school threats may be required to be added to the end of the school year.
If you have any questions, please visit the district website at tracy.k12.ca.us.
• Contact Joel Danoy at 835-3030 or jdanoy@tracypress.com.
school is were they learn there bad habits
Kids do stupid things all the time. We all have. It is part of growing up and learning. You just hope that its not so stupid to the point it causes problems such as the situation we have been dealing with this week. Not so stupid as to cause harm to others. We can all strive to be better parents and we definitely need to work together to have safer schools. But to home school? For me it's not an option.
You are not doing much for the cause, tracyshooldist.
"It’s believed that the threat was made in an effort to disrupt state-mandated testing being conducted this week."
Fantastic, it sounds like at least one of the key elements of terror is present so if proven guilty drop the hammer and before hopefully spending the rest of their lives in prison their butts can pay a visit to Guantanamo Bay for a month or two so they can be with the other terrorists who threaten us.
This is an instance where regardless of age it should be legal to post their pictures if sufficient evidence is found to make the charges stick.
In addition to the decent kids and parents caught up in this act of terror I feel sorry for anyone who owns a business in this city. It's not exaggerating to say this could have at least a temporary economic impact.