LONG BEACH (CNS) - Investigations were underway today into threats of violence at three Long Beach schools and one in La Palma in Orange County.
Two teenage boys were arrested Thursday in connection with threats of violence made against the Long Beach and La Palma schools, but the crimes are not related.
A 14-year-old boy allegedly threatened officials at Tincher Perparatory School in Long Beach, the third time in as many days that a student was arrested for making threats at a city school. Officers were called to the school at 1701 Petaluma Ave. to assist a public safety officer who had detained the student, according to Long Beach police.
``The student had made the threat in the past week,'' according to a police statement. ``(Thursday) a staff member overheard students talking about the threat and reported it to the Long Beach Police Department.''
A day earlier, a freshman at Millikan High School in Long Beach who was allegedly overheard making a threat was arrested, police said. Staff advised the school's resource officer about 11:15 a.m. Wednesday of the 15-year- old's threat, according to Long Beach police Sgt. Brad Johnson.
``Students remained safe the entire time, but the threat was overheard by classmates, who informed staff,'' Johnson said, adding that the threat was investigated and the student arrested.
And on Tuesday, a 16-year-old junior at Wilson High School in Long Beach was arrested after he made threats to harm others at the school, police said.
Also on Thursday, a student at John F. Kennedy High School in La Palma was arrested for allegedly making criminal threats on social media. A school resource officer was notified of the post he made, which contained an image and text indicating a threat of violence, according to the La Palma Police Department.
Authorities did not specify what was in the post or disclose the boy's age but said his parents and the school were cooperating in the investigation and that his parents had surrendered multiple firearms for safekeeping.
An increased police presence was expected at John F. Kennedy High today ``out of an abundance of caution,'' according to police.
Security had already been beefed up at various high school campuses in Long Beach on Wednesday following social media rumors of a possible shooting at ``Poly High School.'' That may have been a reference to Long Beach Polytechnic High School, authorities said.
Johnson said the Millikan High School threat ``was independent of the unsubstantiated Poly threat,'' which was found to be not credible.
``Detectives started investigating the (Poly) matter right away and worked through the night. The preliminary investigation found no credible threat to Long Beach Poly High School,'' according to the LBPD.
It said it's working closely with the Long Beach Unified School District, ``and there will be increased police presence on Long Beach high school campuses to ensure that students feel safe in their educational environment.''
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