2 Sonoma Co. schools evacuated after student's parent makes online threat; suspect arrested

OCCIDENTAL, Calif. (KGO) -- Students at two Sonoma County schools have been safely reunited with their families, after they were placed on lockdown Monday morning when an online threat was made against them by a student's father.

Sheriff's deputies arrested a suspect they believe issued the threat Monday morning.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office ordered the lockdowns at about 9:30 a.m. at Harmony Elementary School and Salmon Creek School, after it decided the threat from a student's father was credible, according to the Sonoma County Office of Education. The nature of the threat wasn't disclosed.

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The schools share a campus in Occidental, with approximately 220 students.

School administration coordinated with Sonoma County Office of Education, Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management, and the sheriff's office to safely reunify students with families.

All the students returned to their families by 1 p.m.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office wouldn't share all the details of the threat at this time but confirmed it came from the father of a student.

"That he was going to show up after school with a weapon and to make sure that sheriff's deputies were there," said Sgt. Juan Valencia of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

By Monday afternoon, the school campus was empty.

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Matthew Morgan who serves as the principal and superintendent of the Harmony Union School District says Monday's event was extremely stressful for staff, students and families.

"This just adds to the level of stress that our families are holding anyway. There's a lot that's been going on in the world and I think that families are incredibly stressed and taxed," Morgan said.

Morgan says when students do return to the classroom, there will be extra support staff on hand to help anyone who might need it.

"We spend a lot of our time doing social and emotional support for kids. Mental health for kids. We've had additional staff that we've had just this year in general," he said.

The office of education said the schools plan to hold classes Tuesday.

Bay City News Service contributed to this article.