Faculty at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, hurried students into the school’s gym after classes on Tuesday, after the Catholic school received a “credible threat” from a former employee, according to police.
A freshman at the school who was on his way to football practice told KCBS, “We got out there and then the coach said, ‘hey no practice, get off the field.'”
Santa Ana Police say the threats were directed towards the school, not the students.
Out of caution, and in light of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the school will be closed for a week, and all activities will be canceled.
Mater Dei High School issued a statement that said, in part, “We acknowledge the alarming nature of this message; however, we at Mater Dei take all threats made to the school seriously.”
The threat remains under investigation.