The Oakland Police Department (OPD), in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, investigated an alleged bomb threat at Chabot Elementary School yesterdau. Concurrently, the authorities are probing a possible connection between the bomb threat and an ongoing hate speech incident, according to the Oakland Police Department CA Press Release.
An Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) employee alerted the OPD of the bomb threat early in the morning, leading officers to promptly evacuate around 50 students and staff members from the premises while establishing a perimeter around the school, as per the OPD Press Release. All students were safely reunited with their parents or guardians.
As part of the investigation and to ensure the school's safety, the OPD worked alongside the Alameda County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit. The team found no explosives on the premises, and the police broke down the perimeter around noon. Moreover, in a bid to uncover any association between the bomb threat and an incident involving hate speech, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is providing assistance to the OPD.
While the exact details of the emergency situation have not been released, some suspect that the bomb threat came in reaction to a reddit post.
A California elementary school organized a racially segregated playdate
by u/I_notice_patterns in facepalm
“Clearly this was not a ‘no whites allowed’ event.” Playdate for students of color at Chabot Elementary prompts racist emails & bomb threats at the school in Oakland’s Upper Rockridge & the homes of the principal & 2nd staff member. @oaklandpoliceca @FBISanFrancisco on the case pic.twitter.com/iYPZPACFks
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) August 30, 2023
Authorities have yet to disclose any further information, as both the bomb threat and the hate speech incident remain under ongoing investigation.
