Students arrested after threatening email closes Davis High, Holmes
PHOTO: District officials and local law enforcement work together to monitor the scene at Davis High. (Courtesy Photo / Declan Fee)
By Max Davis-Housefield,
BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–
This story will be continually updated throughout the day to reflect the current situation.
Two 14 year old boys were arrested on Sept. 22, after sending an email to Davis Joint Unified School District and the Davis Police Department threatening to cause harm to Davis High and Holmes Junior High. DJUSD closed the two campuses briefly that morning, “out of an abundance of caution.”
Both suspects live in Davis and attend a local junior high school.
Police determined that the threat was a hoax, and no weapons were found in the suspects’ homes. “We have determined that the threat to these campuses is no longer present,” the Police Department said in a statement.
The threat was emailed to DJUSD and the Davis Police Department Wednesday night. The sender threatened violence at 9 a.m. the next day. DHS principal Dr. Bryce Geigle was unable to elaborate on the nature of the threat.
Students at both schools were told to return to campus by 10:15 a.m. At DHS, the normal Thursday block schedule will be followed, with students starting in the middle of second period. The tardy policy will not be in effect, according to Geigle.
The police department, school and district officials worked overnight to verify the threat and secure the campuses. At DHS, police patrolled the perimeter of the school and were stationed at the crosswalks.
Geigle expressed his, “deep gratitude for those who were working overnight to ensure our safety.”
He only saw two students bike to campus this morning. “We informed them of the email that was sent late last night to parents and redirected the students to North Davis Elementary,” Geigle said.
“Our number one goal is to ensure that students are feeling safe, staff is feeling safe,” Geigle said. “Not only physically, but emotionally.”
Counseling staff will be in the DHS library today to provide social emotional support and mental health support. Communicare mental health therapists will also be on site, according to Geigle.
Matt Duffy, DJUSD’s director of Elementary Education and Leadership, and Scott Thomsen, DJUSD’s Director of Instructional Technology were stationed at the entrance to Holmes. They said that only about two students and staff showed up on campus in the morning. “(There were) very few (who showed up), most people got the message,” said Duffy.
Duffy was glad students could safely return to campus. “(We are) grateful for (the authorities’) hard work,” Duffy said.
Other DJUSD campuses remained open during the threat. “There will be extra police presence at other schools to the extent it can be provided,” the Police Department said in a post on social media.
Teachers and staff members were told to be in Davis by 8:30 a.m. and the district office opened up their conference room for them. They returned to campus after the all clear was issued.
“The safety of students and staff is the first priority, and we take all threats to our school community very seriously,” the district said in the statement.
