A student’s anonymous tip helped prevent a potential school shooting at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, leading to intervention by district officials and law enforcement, according to Sandy Hook Promise.
The nonprofit said Monday that a student flagged a peer’s Instagram post through its “Say Something Anonymous Reporting System.”
On Sept. 10, the group’s crisis center alerted the Sequoia Union High School District’s response team, prompting precautionary lockdown at Menlo-Atherton High School as well as nearby Laurel School.
After the nonprofit’s announcement, Atherton Police Department clarified Tuesday that no weapons were recovered from the student’s home and that the social media post depicted ammunition magazines.
Related Articles
Are young people more likely to support political violence than older people?
1 dead, several wounded in country club shooting in N.H.
Oakland: Two alleged robbers charged in sextuple pawn shop shooting
Two dead, two hospitalized following shooting in Antioch
California school employee on leave for social media posts after Charlie Kirk’s killing
“We are proud partners with Say Something and Sandy Hook Promise,” said Jarrett Dooley, executive director of student services for the district. “We are grateful that the anonymous student tip resulted in swift action by local law enforcement and school administrators to keep all students, staff and community members safe.”
Sandy Hook Promise, founded by family members of those killed in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, operates the anonymous reporting system.
The program, available to students in grades 4–12, allows concerns to be submitted by app, text, phone or website. The system aims to provide safe and private reporting that can trigger interventions before tragedies occur.
Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise, said the Bay Area case highlights the importance of vigilance.
“Sometimes we receive hundreds of tips about a potential threat. Other times, as we saw in California during this incident, it just takes one,” said Hockley, whose son Dylan was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting. “At a time where many feel powerless against gun violence, this student’s bravery proves that each of us has the ability to make a difference. Gun violence is not inevitable — it is preventable — and prevention begins when we recognize the signs and take action.”
In 2023, a mass shooting in Half Moon Bay left seven people dead, one of the deadliest shootings in recent San Mateo County history.