Police make arrest in San Mateo school shooting threat

SAN MATEO — A weekend-long investigation into a shooting threat at Serra High School ended Monday in the arrest of a 16-year-old San Francisco boy, authorities said.

The threat, which was made over social media, came to the attention of San Mateo police Friday evening.

In a news release Monday, authorities said they “worked feverishly” throughout the weekend with school administrators to identify, locate and arrest the suspect, who was not named because he is a minor.

Officers patrolled in and around the high school and increased their presence in the area.

In addition, police conducted a “threat assessment” of the suspect to determine the threat level and next steps.

Parents are being urged to talk with their children about the “gravity of threats posted to social media” and to encourage them to “come forward immediately when threats are seen.”

“The impact of threats are significant to a school community and our city a whole,” police said. “They place a major burden on school and police resources and are a cause of great concern.”

The investigation into the shooting threat is continuing and anyone with information can contact Detective Lee Violett at 650-730-9748 or lviolett@cityofsanmateo.org. Those wishing to remain anonymous can leave a tip at 650-522-7676 or http://tinyurl.com/SMPDTips.