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WOODLAND HILLS (CNS) - A suspect was taken into custody in connection with a social media threat that prompted panic among students and parents at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, authorities said Wednesday, but there's no evidence the threat was credible.
In a message sent to Taft families, Los Angeles Unified School District officials said law enforcement "has identified and arrested the person responsible" for the social media posts -- one of which showed a gun and another that warned of a shooting.
"At this time, there is no indication that the individual, who is not a student of LAUSD, posed a credible threat to students and staff," according to the message. "We take the safety of our students very seriously. In an abundance of caution, the Los Angeles School Police Department will provide support and extra patrols on and around our campus. Our partners at LAUSD Region North will be providing support from Los Angeles Unified to ensure the safety of our school community with extra support staff. Our school will also provide resources for students who may need additional mental health support because of this incident."
No other details about the suspect were released.
District officials said it was a "calm and peaceful day at school" on Wednesday.
Police responded to the campus in the 5400 block of Winnetka Avenue at about 9 a.m. Tuesday as news of the social media posts began circulating among students and staff. Some students could be seen scaling a fence to exit the campus, as hundreds of parents began descending on the school to collect their children.
In Wednesday's message to the school community, district officials reminded students and parents to download the Los Angeles Schools Anonymous Reporting mobile app, which is "designed to report non-emergency incidents anonymously."
"We thank you and appreciate our students and our families for remaining diligent about the safety of our school community," the message concluded.