Message threatens May 9 school shooting at California High School in San Ramon

Amanda del Castillo Image
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Message threatens May 9 school shooting at California High School in San Ramon
The California High School community remains on high alert after another message was discovered on-campus, threatening a May 9 school shooting.

SAN RAMON, Calif. (KGO) -- The California High School community remains on high alert after another message was discovered on-campus, threatening a May 9 school shooting.

The message found in a boys restroom at Cal High details when, where and who would be targeted in the shooting. The threat also used a racial slur to call out African Americans.

"You don't know who they're going to target," Theja Birur said. "And that's even scarier for people like us."

Birur is Indian, and worries all students of color may be targeted.

RELATED: FBI joins investigation into threats at California High School in San Ramon

Her 10th grade daughter will be staying home Thursday. It's a move many parents are making, considering this threat is not the first in recent weeks.

"I feel like I'm sending her to a war zone every day," Birur described. "She uses a desk as her protection if anything happens. So it's really scary."

"A few days ago, there was a fire alarm," Birur explained. "And they thought it was a shooting. All the girls panicked, all the kids panicked, she had night sweats all night."

In a letter to the Cal High community, Principal Christopher George said there would be a considerable police presence and additional administrators on-hand, Thursday.

However, in the wake of the deadly STEM School shooting in Colorado, Cal High parents are not taking any chances.

"One always thinks it's never going to happen at our school," another parent said. "We know a lot of the parents, we know a lot of the students."

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What isn't known, is who is behind the threats. The Cal High parent wanted to remain anonymous over concerns his kids would be targeted because he chose to speak out.

"It's very hurtful. It's very, very hurtful," he told ABC7 News. "If it is a joke, it's not funny."

After learning about the previous threats, he initially thought, "It'll blow over. Maybe it's just some kids being immature."

Then he saw a picture of the most recent threat and said, "There is some validity to this, I believe."

"It may not just be tomorrow, and that's the scarier part," the parent added. He has two sons at Cal High, a graduating senior and a 10th grader.

He too has worries about his children being targeted, "I can see it specifically targeting Latinos, Mexicans, Indians, Asians. It could be anybody!"

The Cal High community remains on high alert.

"Unfortunately, that's a terrible conversation to have with your child. This is a time when they're finishing their school year, they're getting ready to graduate," the parent said. "Oh yeah, and by the way, 'You also got to be careful because there might be a shooting tomorrow.'"

Parents admit concern will last far beyond May 9.

Birur said, "One thing my daughter said very cleverly is, 'Mommy, they may be putting off. They may be saying May 9th and they show up on May 10th.' So, what do you do for those things?"