Behind the Badge
A freshman at Bolsa Grande High School was arrested Thursday for making a written bomb threat that led to the evacuation of the Garden Grove school Tuesday and for writing a second note found Wednesday that said there would be a shooting at the school.
In a news release Thursday, the Garden Grove PD said it is continuing to investigate whether the boy, 14, was involved in a suspicious fire at the school Sunday that significantly damaged two classrooms and caused water and smoke damage to six other classrooms.
A search warrant was obtained for the boy’s home and “numerous items of evidence were seized,” the GGPD said in announcing the arrest of the boy in a news release.
On Tuesday at 1:45 pm, Garden Grove PD officers were sent to Bolsa Grande High, 9401 Westminster Ave., after a student found a note on campus indicating there was a bomb at the school.
This led to a lockdown and evacuation of 2,075 students. The campus was declared clear at about 3:30 p.m.
At the end of the school day Wednesday, school officials found another note on campus referencing the fire and the previous bomb threat and advising there would be a shooting at the school.
Garden Grove PD beefed up their presence at the school Thursday to ensure there were no bombs on campus and that no one came onto campus with any weapons.
Meanwhile, school staff reviewed the notes and thought they recognized the writing as possibly being that of one of the students, according to the news release.
Investigators contacted the student on campus and questioned him regarding the note. They then developed “sufficient information” to arrest the boy for leaving both threatening notes at the school, the news release said.
“Everyone at GGUSD is extremely proud of the teamwork and patience that was demonstrated this week by the entire Bolsa Grande High School family,” Garden Grove Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Gabriela Mafi said in a statement.
“Teachers, staff and students supported one another and remained calm during a highly stressful time and are a model for everyone in the district,” Mafi added.
“We are also thankful for our wonderful, collaborative relationships with the Garden Grove Police Department and the Garden Grove Fire Department; we could not have gotten through this without their continual support.”
