Sandy Hook tip line prevents possible shooting at Bay Area high school

Atherton HS violence threat thwarted by use of 'Sandy Hook' tipline

Atherton police and officials with the Sequoia Union High School Dist. said on Tuesday that a threat of violence aimed at Menlo-Atherton HS was thwarted because someone alerted authorities though an anonymous tipline that was born out of the tragic Sandy Hook mass shooting in 2012.

ATHERTON, Calif. - A possible shooting at a Bay Area high school was thwarted when a student reported apparent online threats using a tip line intended to allay gun violence.

The Atherton Police Department first began receiving reports on Sept. 10 through Menlo-Atherton High School’s Sandy Hook Promise Say Something Anonymous Reporting System tip line of a potential threat against the school, the APD said in a statement.

Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of one of the children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, said in a prepared statement that the organization forwarded tips it received to local police, prompting action.

A former Menlo-Atherton High School student who was attending another school at the time allegedly posted "concerning content" on social media referencing a "possible threat," police said. Authorities clarified that the social media posts included images of ammunition magazines, but did not include pictures of any weapons.

Out of an abundance of caution, Menlo-Atherton High School and nearby Laurel School were both placed on a "secure campus" order as authorities worked to ensure the school was free of threats.

The suspect who allegedly made the online threats – identified only as a juvenile – was located by police that same day. Police did not say if the suspect was arrested for allegedly making the threats, but noted that "at no time has there been an ongoing threat to the public."

The APD added that no weapon was recovered during the incident.

"Because of the courageous actions of one student – a single voice speaking up – this community was spared unimaginable heartbreak," Hockley said. "Every act of violence we prevent, whether it’s a planned school shooting, youth suicide, or bullying, is our Promise in action, creating a safer future for all children."

Since its launch in 2018, the Sandy Hook Promise anonymous reporting system has stopped about 19 credible planned school attacks nationwide, according to the organization.