Online threat to Hollister High School has Police Department on alert

HOLLISTER, Calif. (KION) - Hollister Police announced that they are aware of social media threats circulating regarding Hollister High School.

Officers said that they will be offering additional law enforcement support through the end of the week to the school and urge students and staff to report suspicious activity.

This has been the second reported threat made over the past couple of weeks.

"It's the same thing all over again," said Ivan Huerta, a student at Hollister High School.

A Hollister High School parent says she is not surprised seeing an increase in threats with kids using social media.

"I was surprised and then not surprised, but it is what it is and what's happening in this day and age," said Beatriz Dominguez, a parent at Hollister High School.

The social media post which we are electing not to show you shows a gun with the message threatening to shoot up the school. This is the second time in less than a month a threat has been made to the high school.

According to police, they received a call Monday night about the threat.

Aurelio Melgoza who is the patrol sergeant for Hollister Police says they are investigating the nature of the threat.

"It appeared as if the account was just me or people who posted different things about what they think about the high school in general," said Melgoza.

A parent I spoke to off camera tells me she picked up her child from school early tuesday after hearing what happened.

The nature of the threat, causing concern, but not enough to cancel school.

Nick Rabago who is the security and safety supervisor for Hollister High School says they are working with law enforcement.

"This morning, on my way to work, I asked that question to the police officers we were working with directly," Rabago said. "Is it safe for us to continue having school today? And their answer was yes. So we follow their lead,"

Rabago went on to say it is hard to control what happens online and outside of campus.

Police have added more patrol and school resource officers on campus but asks the parents to do their part in educating their kids on safety outside of school.

"If you see anything that's out of the ordinary and negative, well, you know what to do," said Dominguez.

The Hollister Police Department is looking for the person responsible for the post.

Hollister High School says they have over 340 staff members supervising over 3,000 students during school hours.