The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

UPDATE: Bomb threat on Dec. 13

Police car stops in the of intersection of Bubb Road and McClellan Road. The police blocked off entrances into MVHS because of reported bomb threat. Photo by Joyce Varma.
Police car stops in the of intersection of Bubb Road and McClellan Road. The police blocked off entrances into MVHS because of reported bomb threat. Photo by Joyce Varma.
Graffiti at Lynbrook High School threatens MVHS teacher. 
Editors’ Note: At this time, El Estoque is withholding the name of the targeted staff member.

 

Updated on Dec. 14 at 11:06 p.m. and corrected on Dec. 16, 1:52 a.m:
An MVHS student, whose name remains withheld by police because he is a juvenile, was arrested on 5 p.m. Friday night, according to the San Jose Mercury News. “Several pieces of evidence” were found, said Lieutenant Rick Sung of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department, which led to the arrest. The student has admitted to writing the bomb threat on an MVHS teacher.

Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.

Updated on Dec. 13, 2012 at 8:33 p.m:
Read more about the impact of the bomb threats on students and about the consequences the perpetrator could face if caught.

Updated on Dec. 13 at 12:55 p.m:
Photos from today. See gallery below.

Updated on Dec. 13 at 12:12 p.m. and corrected at 12:34 p.m:
Video clips from a press conference at 11:17 a.m. Lieutenant Rick Sung of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office discusses what’s going on.

BREAKING Bomb Threat Santa Clara County Lt. Rick Sung Part 1 from El Estoque on Vimeo.

The state of the subject targeted and measures they are taking.

BREAKING Bomb Threat Santa Clara County Lt. Rick Sung Part 2 from El Estoque on Vimeo.

Published on Dec. 13 at 11:39 a.m:
Students received a phone call at around 7:15 a.m. on Dec. 13 informing them to stay home from school due to a bomb threat at MVHS.According to an interview conducted by KTVU Channel 2 News with Lieutenant Rick Sung of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, the sheriff’s office received a report around 6:40 a.m. regarding graffiti at Lynbrook High School that included a specific threat against a specific teacher and that a bomb was planted at MVHS.

“We sent our own bomb detection canine unit as well as asked for the assistance of our neighboring law enforcement agencies to get their canines,” Sung said. “So currently we have three different canine units that are working in conjunction to locate any and all suspicious packages.”

Police investigating the threat told students who arrived early to go home. Around 9:47 a.m., a call went out to the homes of students in the Cupertino Union School District from the superintendent Wendy Gudalewicz, providing updates on the situation of the bomb threat at MVHS. According to Gudalewicz, KMS will remain open, although students are not to be allowed on the upper field. The message, which was sent out at 7:37 a.m., also mentioned that the reason for which Lincoln Elementary School was also closed was due to “an abundance of caution” and also due to the fact that McClellan Road has been closed. Families have been given the option to keep their children at home.

Sergeant Jose Cardoza of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s office confirmed that bomb detection canines were brought to MVHS at around 7:40 a.m. for a sweep of the school while helicopters hovered over the campus.

Santa Clara County sheriffs have established a two block radius around MVHS, which includes LES, and have blocked local roadways and directed traffic away from McClellan Rd. No homes or other buildings have been evacuated, said Sung. According to KTVU Channel 2 news, roads will be closed for another three or four hours.

“I was driving to school and there was a police officer blocking the road … The cops were sending [students] away and they said they were searching for a bomb,” MVHS senior Spencer Rodrigues said.

An email sent to MVHS parents by principal April Scott, timestamped at 7:20 a.m., stated, “This is to inform you that currently there is a police investigation at the Monta Vista campus. Campus will be closed this morning until further notice.”

The superintendent’s office said they have no additional comments at this time, but that they will be updating on the district website.

Many students were already on their way to school when they received notification that the school was closed until further notice.

“When I was driving to school … I saw a bunch of helicopters, and there was a bunch of police cars, and there was a car that said ‘bomb squad.’ And then I got called from my house,” MVHS junior Grace Yang said.

Check back for video updates on elestoque.org.

Another version of this story was posted on elestoque.tumblr.com.
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