Threat Of Violence Investigated At Petaluma High School: Police

PETALUMA, CA — The Petaluma Police Department will have an increased presence on and around the Petaluma High School campus Wednesday following a threat of school violence, the Petaluma Police Department said.

Administrators at Petaluma High School called the police department at 2:38 p.m. Tuesday regarding the threat. Officers were told students in a classroom were using a shared document being viewed on a monitor in the classroom and on the students' laptops, creating a scenario similar to a live stream.

The document could be accessed by anyone with the link and it did not require users to provide names or credentials. The students began noticing multiple anonymous users editing the document and adding inappropriate content. The content escalated to the threat of a sexual assault and then a threat of violence, specifically mentioning bringing an assault rifle to school Wednesday, March 15, 2023, Petaluma police said.

The comments made throughout the live stream were random and it appeared the authors were attempting to top the previous one in terms of shock value, police said.

Officers interviewed several students and were working to identify the authors of the comments.

The investigation was ongoing and Petaluma City School staff and Petaluma police officers planned to have an increased presence on and around the Petaluma High School campus Wednesday, Petaluma police Lt. Garrett Glaviano said in a news release.

"We recognize the stress and anxiety these situations create for students, parents, and community members," Glaviano said. "Both the Petaluma Police Department and Petaluma City Schools take all threats of violence in our schools seriously. We are working collaboratively to create a safe environment on campus."