Salinas High School students spent first day of school on lockdown following a bomb threat.

For over three hours, students at Salinas High School were on lockdown in their classrooms while Salinas Police officers and SWAT Team members from other agencies, including California State Parks and the Monterey County Probation Department, investigated a bomb threat on campus on Wednesday, Aug. 5. 

Salinas Police Cmdr. Brian Johnson said that they called in the SWAT team for additional support. “It wasn’t a SWAT activation,” Johnson said, noting they only have enough officers to cover the perimeter on campus. “It was only for more resources to make sure we could thoroughly sweep through the high school to make sure it was safe."

While officers responded and investigated the campus, students remained on lockdown. Police also recommended that residents avoid the area. 

Salinas Union High School District Superintendent Zandra Jo Galván added that every threat will be treated seriously. “We’re going to prosecute fully with Salinas PD to make sure whoever did this is caught,” she said. 

After the incident, in a joint letter, Margarita Contreras, Salinas High principal, and Galvan said their priority was the safety of students and staff and shared their solidarity with parents. “We recognize how hard it is to wait while wanting to reach and protect your child and we do not take that concern lightly,” the letter said. 

Every hour, Salinas PD provided updates online. In the end, they concluded the bomb threat seemed to be a false alarm. “The threat doesn't appear credible and nothing substantial was found at the school yesterday,” Rosemerry Dere, Salinas Police spokesperson, says on Thursday.

Once the officers cleared the schools and the lockdown was lifted, administrators let students go home. 

Salinas PD is still investigating the incident and working to locate where the call came from.