FREMONT — A bomb threat on a middle school campus Friday morning proved to be a bogus one, but it shut down the school and sent students home, authorities said.
Police and Fremont fire officials inspected Thornton Junior High School and declared it safe just before 10:30 a.m. The threat came in the form of an anonymous email.
“After a thorough search, officers were not able to locate anything suspicious on campus,” police said in a digital alert. “The anonymous email threat has been turned over to detectives and they are investigating the source.”
Students at the school in the 4300 block of Thornton Avenue were evacuated and OK. Police sent out an alert just after 9 a.m. that the school was closed for the day.
The Fremont Unified School District first notified its followers on social media at 9:03 a.m. about the threat.
Due to a potential threat to campus, Thornton Junior High School has been evacuated and will dismiss students shortly. Students will be walked to the Cabrillo Shopping Center west of campus where they can be picked up….
— Fremont USD (@USDFremont) October 4, 2019
The campus will remain closed all day.
School district officials said students were walked to the Cabrillo Shopping Center west of the campus in the 4600 block of Thornton Avenue and parents were able to pick them up there.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience this morning,” police said. “These situations can be scary, and panic is often the first initial reaction. Today was a true test of the training and coordination our first responders prepare for throughout the school year with the FUSD, and everything went very smooth as a result.”
Students also were allowed to walk home after parents or guardians provided verbal permission, district officials said. The district also worked with Alameda County Transit to arrange transportation for students who normally take the bus home.
The school will be opened as scheduled Monday.