Threat Against Palo Alto High School Likely A Hoax: Police

PALO ALTO, CA — UPDATED: Palo Alto police officers determined that a phone call received Thursday at the Palo Alto Police Department in which the caller threatened violence against Palo Alto High School was likely a hoax, PAPD officials now say. The school was placed on lockdown after the call was received at about 12:45 p.m. but it turned out "there was no violence and there were no physical injuries," police said.

School administrators were expected to lift the lockdown at Paly High soon, police said at 2:05 p.m.

The lockdown was put in place as a precautionary measure while officers immediately began investigating the phone call that was specific to Paly. No other schools were mentioned by the unknown caller, police said.

A heavy police presence — including personnel from neighboring agencies Stanford Department of Public Safety, Mountain View Police Department and Menlo Park Police Department — responded to the 50 Embarcadero Road campus and surrounding area.

The Palo Alto Police Department said its plan was for officers to remain on scene for the rest of the school day to reassure students and ensure their safety as well as the community's.

Detectives will continue their investigation of the threat, including working to identify the caller, police officials said.

The exact nature of the threat was not disclosed by police. The school's newspaper staff, however, indicated in a Twitter post that the caller may have mentioned an active shooter on campus.

Earlier this week, a robo call threatening violence at another South Bay school, Cupertino High, prompted an emergency evacuation of the campus.

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