Social Media Bomb Threat Leads to Pali High Evacuation

Police Say Threat Was Posted Via Yik Yak App

Students were evacuated from Palisades Charter High School Tuesday, Nov. 4, after school authorities were notified of a possible bomb threat posted on the anonymous social media app Yik Yak, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

“An electronic threat was made to the school saying that a bomb was supposed to explode at 9:50 a.m.,” said LAPD Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore. “As a precaution for the safety of the children, the school decided to do an evacuation.”

Students were temporarily moved to Temescal Canyon Continuation High School, located about 300 yards south of Stadium by the Sea, as bomb technician units searched the campus for possible threats, said Jorge Gracias, head of security at Pali High.

Authorities also temporarily suspended balloting on the campus, which was serving as a polling station for Tuesday’s elections, as evacuations took place.

Voters were directed to the Palisades Lutheran Church and other locations where polling stations were established in the wake of Tuesday’s bomb scare at the campus.

Pali High executive director and principal Pamela Magee announced an all clear at noon Tuesday, and students returned to class to continue with their normal school day.

Several police units, including at least six bomb squad vehicles, and Los Angeles firefighters responded to the campus and its perimeter in response to the bomb threat posted anonymously on social media.

The decision to evacuate the campus was made by school authorities, Moore said, adding that LAPD units responded after the facility was ordered to evacuate.

“It might be a prank or test to see how the school would respond,” Moore said.

Yik Yak, an anonymous social media app popular with college students, is no stranger to being misused. A university student in Baltimore was recently arrested after he threatened to attack the campus on Yik Yak, according to a report in the Baltimore Sun.

“As all social app platforms have experienced, the threat of misuse of this nature is often unavoidable and it’s important that app makers identify and respond to each instance immediately to address these types of posts,” Yik Yak said in a statement to the Palisadian-Post. “In addition to monitoring traffic for misuse and/or harmful posts, Yik Yak makes a point to work with law enforcement and other officials when a post is violent in nature.”

The app company said that it is aware of the Palisades situation and will be working with local law enforcement as needed.

—Frances Sharpe, Sierra Davis, Steve Galluzzo and Jacqueline Primo contributed to this report.