Possible School Shooting Prevented In Bay Area Thanks To Tip Line, Nonprofit Says

ATHERTON, CA — A nonprofit has lauded its tip line for helping thwart a possible school shooting in the Bay Area.

Menlo-Atherton and Carlmont high schools were placed on lockdown on Sept. 10, after a potential threat was reported on the Say Something anonymous reporting line, which is partnered with the Sandy Hook Promise — a nonprofit that aims to protect children from gun violence.

Police swept the campus and discovered a former Menlo-Atherton High School student, who was now enrolled at another high school, had posted "concerning content" on social media, which authorities say included pictures of ammunition magazines. Sequoia Union High School District said it also included a picture of a map of the campus.

The lockdown was lifted after police located the suspect, according to the Atherton Police Department.

"The student recognized the warning signs among a peer’s Instagram posts, took them seriously, and acted immediately to report the threats," the nonprofit said in a statement. "This set off a swift chain of events that ultimately saved lives."

Details about the lead-up to the event prior to Tuesday were murky, with school district officials saying in a statement that a news station had inaccurately reported information.

Some of those details included the station quoting the nonprofit, which said the social media post published by the suspect showed guns, and that weapons had been recovered by police from their home.

But the Atherton Police Department clarified Tuesday that no guns were recovered during the search of the minor's home, and that there were no ongoing threats to the public.

"We remain grateful to the community, school staff, and our regional partners for their swift action and cooperation," police said in a statement Tuesday. "We again remind the public that reporting suspicious activity is critical to maintaining community safety: If you see something, say something."

The Sandy Hook Promise was started by parents whose children were killed in the mass shooting at the elementary school with the same name in 2012. It aims at protecting children from gun violence.