Petaluma High School document threatened violence

(Image courtesy Petaluma PD)

Posted: Mar 14, 2023 / 10:28 PM PDT

Updated: Mar 14, 2023 / 10:28 PM PDT

(BCN) — Police in Petaluma responded to a threat of violence in a high school on Tuesday afternoon, the department said. Police were contacted by an administrator at Petaluma High School around 2:38 p.m. to investigate a report of students using a shared document that included inappropriate content, the department said.

The shared document was being viewed both on a monitor in the classroom and on the students’ laptops, “creating a scenario similar to a live stream,” said the Petaluma police.

The document could be accessed by anyone who possessed the link. Students began noticing multiple anonymous users editing the document and adding inappropriate content, police said. The content escalated to the threat of a sexual assault and then a threat of violence, specifically mentioning bringing an assault rifle to school on Wednesday.

KRON On is streaming live news now

“The comments made throughout the live stream were random and it appeared the authors were attempting to top the previous one in terms of shock value,” said a statement released by police.

Officers interviewed multiple students and are working to determine if forensic evidence exists to determine the authors of the posts. There will be an increased police presence on and around campus on Wednesday, the Petaluma Police Department said.