Fresno police are dealing with a troubling number of threats against schools with nine incidents reported just nine weeks into the fall semester — including one bomb threat and eight shooting threats.

“Most of them reference a firearm as the means of carrying out the threat. Many of the threats start out with a social media posting and then that gets sent out multiple times,” said Bowlan, who oversees the Fresno Police Department’s school resource officers.

The posts quickly spread, amplifying fear and confusion among students, faculty, and parents.

The local rise in school threats reflects what is happening across the country.

“Nearly a month after the Apalachee High School shooting (in Georgia), school districts across the U.S. are still grappling with increased school shooting threats — and not just on social media,” Campus Safety magazine reported.

Moreover, hoax threats are expensive. An 11-month study by The Economist estimated the cost shouldered by law enforcement agencies and school districts per hoax threat at about $100,000.

Hoax threats also can be dangerous beyond the emotional toll inflicted on students and teachers. For example, following the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, resulting in 17 deaths and 17 injuries, a Florida police officer shot himself in the leg while responding to a false shooting report.

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Fresno Student Experience Disruptions to Daily Operations

Recent threats have varied in their impact on the daily operations of Fresno Unified schools. For instance, during the past week, there were two hoax calls that Fresno PD deemed not credible — one originating from Germany, said an FUSD spokesperson.

Fresno Unified noted that these incidents had little impact. However, the continuous sharing of social media posts, even those later found to be false, extended the time and resources needed to address the situation.

District officials emphasized the importance of parents discussing with their children that making false threats is a crime with serious consequences, including potential arrest.

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Communication with Parents and the Community

FUSD has established a protocol for communicating with parents and the community regarding threats. When threats or rumors arise, the district collaborates with the school site to inform the community via ParentSquare, their district communication tool.

Fresno Unified also shares video messages and public service announcements through various channels, including social media and television commercials, to keep parents informed about student safety.

In the aftermath of these threats, school counselors and mental health professionals play a crucial role. FUSD has school psychologists and other social-emotional support systems in place to assist students daily.

In response to the recent surge in social media threats, additional resources were made available to help students process their feelings and concerns related to the incidents.

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Fresno Student Resource Officers Trained Specifically for Active Shooters

In Fresno, police officers and dispatchers are trained to handle school shooting threats and active shooters.

“Student Resource Officers have yearly training regarding Active Shooter which covers responding to the call and what actions to take when arriving on scene of an Active Shooter threat,” Bowlan said. “Our dispatchers get critical incident training through (Peace Officers Standards and Training instruction) that covers Active Shooter calls and how to handle and obtain crucial information to assist officers responding to these types of calls.”

In September, the department announced an increased uniformed presence around schools, working closely with FUSD to bolster student safety.

(GV Wire’s Bill McEwen contributed to this story)