School shooting threat at Atascadero High School

September 23, 2021

By KAREN VELIE

Atascadero police responded to a threat of a potential shooting on Thursday or Friday at Atascadero High School, after a student discovered the threat on Snapchat. The text warned students not to go to school.

This threat, which was a photograph of a message written on a restroom wall, was reported to the campus resource officer.

Investigators determined the written message was not located at any schools in Atascadero.

The Atascadero Police Department then contacted agencies in the San Luis Obispo area as well as the Santa Maria FBI field office to coordinate efforts to verify or dispute the validity of the threat.

Investigators determined the threat had originated in a school district in another state before spreading on social media.

“We are grateful for the student who had the courage to step up and say something, and we encourage everyone in our community to do the same, ‘if you see something, say something,’ ” police said. “Atascadero Unified School District and all law enforcement agencies take any reported threats of this nature seriously and work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.”