Full Notification

On May 21, 2018 at 6:25pm, the Novato Police Department received information that several Sinaloa Middle School students overheard a 13 year old male classmate make a statement about bringing a gun with him to “shoot up the school.” The information was received after school had already been released for the day and the students involved had gone home. As part of the investigation, patrol officers contacted the students who overheard the threats and corroborated the information provided to school administrators.  NPD Detectives later contacted the student at his residence. He and his family were cooperative with detectives and denied having any intentions to cause harm at the school.  A search of his residence was conducted and a broken airsoft gun was located.  No other guns or weapons were located. At the conclusion of the investigation, the student was issued a citation for 422.2 PC-Criminal Threats Made Against A School. The case will be forwarded to the Marin County District Attorney’s Office. The student will be referred to services.   

Early this morning, a citizen reported a gas can left on the field at Sinaloa Middle School.  Officers immediately responded and confirmed with school facility maintenance staff the gas can was left behind by workers the previous day. There is no connection to the original threats investigated.   

This case is an example of why it is important to report any suspicious or concerning behavior. “See Something, Say Something” is a campaign that promotes early warning reporting and is intended to prevent tragic situations from occurring by early intervention.  The students who came forward to report the threats acted courageously to provide the information to school administrators. We encourage students and community members to report concerning behavior immediately to the police department by calling 415-897-4361. Tips can also be submitted anonymously at our website www.novatopolice.org or by texting Tip Novato to 888777.  Campus safety is everyone’s responsibility.    

We take all threats against students and faculty extremely seriously and is a top priority to the Novato Police Department. Officers will be providing a high visibility presence in the area of Sinaloa Middle School to reassure students and parents. The NPD has well developed plans for responding to incidents taking place at schools and is fully prepared to respond to any situation on campus.  We continue to work closely with Novato Unified School District to ensure safety at all NUSD facilities.