Hoax call leads to public safety response at high school
FORT BRAGG, CA >> On Monday, April 3, at approximately 1:11 pm, a call came into the Fort Bragg Police dispatcher reporting an active shooter at Fort Bragg High School and many injuries. The caller was on the line with the dispatcher for two minutes. Fort Bragg Police officers and an investigator from the Mendocino County District Attorney’s office arrived on campus within minutes and headed to the building the caller had described.
In their first evaluation of the situation, responding officers reported there was no evidence of a shooting and that they heard nothing from their positions. Fort Bragg Unified School District Superintendent Joseph Aldridge had already ordered a lockdown at all schools.
Under the command of Fort Bragg Police Chief Neil Cervenka, search teams of law officers from the Fort Bragg Police Department, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department, CA State Parks, and CA Fish and Wildlife began a thorough room-to-room search accompanied by school administrators.
Additionally, ambulances from Adventist Health Hospital, the Fort Bragg Fire Department, and Fort Bragg Public Works Department responded. Multiple air ambulances were called in, and six US Coast Guard rescue helicopters were diverted to Fort Bragg to assist.
The search revealed no evidence of a shooter and no injuries to students and staff. With safety assured, the lockdown was then lifted, and students were released to continue their school day. High school students were sent home with parental permission.
Police Chief Neil Cervenka confirmed that an investigation is underway and that the FBI has been notified. The event is currently described as a hoax call. Chief Cervenka also stated that shortly after the police dispatcher received the call, separate hoax calls were made to other high schools in the county.
Superintendent Joseph Aldridge posted a letter to the district’s parents to apprise them of the event. He reported that both Willits High School and Ukiah High School had received similar calls. Superintendent Aldridge assured parents that “the safety and well-being of our students and staff are
our highest priorities, and we took all necessary measures to ensure our campus was safe.”
He also informed parents that staff counseling services would be available onsite for any families or students needing to process the incident. He advised parents to “talk with your children about any situation that causes discomfort so it can be fully investigated.”
Superintendent Aldridge then thanked “our incredible local law enforcement partners and our staff and students who did a fantastic job responding to this situation.” He assured parents that they would continue to be updated with new information.
Chief Cervenka shared his strong opinions about these types of calls. “They’re despicable. It causes panic and terror in hundreds of people, both the people at the school and their parents, and the staff members, and the staff members’ loved ones, and the law enforcement that are responding to it, and the law enforcement’s loved ones, and the staff at the police department.”
He added, “It ripples through an entire community with unnecessary fear and panic. The risk is also that you’ve got a lot of people coming in at a high rate of speed for a Code 3 for no reason. Whenever we turn our lights and sirens on, that increases the liability and risk to everyone around us.”
Although the event is currently labeled a hoax, Chief Cervenka noted that the response involved “local, county, state, and federal levels,” and he stated, “I’m very proud of the partnership among so many agencies to ensure the safety of our community.”
He encouraged anyone with any knowledge of these calls to the high schools to contact Officer Frank of the Fort Bragg Police Department at 707-961-2800, ext. 139.