FBI, Pasadena Police Not Aware of Any Credible Threats to Southland Schools

The FBI’s Los Angeles office said it is not aware of any known credible threats to schools in the region Friday after posts on social media indicated shootings and bombings will take place at campuses across the nation.

Lt. Bill Grisafe said Thursday that Pasadena police were not aware of any Pasadena-specific credible threats to local schools, but had reached out to Pasadena Unified and were monitoring the situation.

In an email to Pasadena Unified parents, the District said Thursday “we are… taking it seriously. Pasadena Police patrols will have an increased presence around our campuses on Friday as an added precaution.”

The post on social media platform TikTok referred to a threat to school safety “for every school in the USA, even elementary” on Friday, December 17.

Pasadena Unified said in its email that the post “appears to be part of a national TikTok trend and is not specific to our schools. We have heard from other districts that the same post is circulating in their schools.”

Burbank Superintendent Matt Hill wrote parents of students in the Burbank Unified School District the threats “appear to be the latest hoax and numerous police departments around the country have already investigated and publicly said there is no credible threat.”