In the early hours of Sunday, the University of Redlands Department of Public Safety distributed a Bulldog Be Safe alert warning students of a potential threat on campus. The threat came as many students returned from the Thanksgiving holiday.
The email from Associate Vice President of Public Safety Jeff Talbott indicated a note was found at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, presumably during or after the high-profile football game between Notre Dame and the University of Southern California. The note suggested that there would be a “shooting at school 27th 6:00 a.m.” with four universities in the greater Los Angeles area written on it, including Redlands. California Lutheran University and Pepperdine University were also listed, while the fourth university remains unknown.
The University of Redlands Department of Public Safety noted they had been in contact with the Los Angeles Police Department as well as the Redlands Police Department, who increased patrol on campus. The Department of Public Safety also planned to increase the number of uniformed officers on duty and said campus facilities would open later than usual.
Sunday evening, Talbott wrote to provide an update, saying that the Los Angeles Police Department had analyzed the note and concluded that it is “inconsistent with a credible threat.” Nevertheless, Talbott said the increased safety measures would still be implemented, maintaining additional patrols of campus with supplemented Public Safety personnel. Public Safety continues to remain in direct radio contact with the Redlands Police Department, who agreed to provide enhanced patrol in and around the Redlands campus for the next few days. Exterior doors remained locked Sunday, while classes will resume on Monday.
The school shooting threat came almost exactly two weeks after a student at the University of Virginia shot and killed three Cavalier football players on the Charlottesville campus following a class trip to Washington, D.C. to see a play. According to Education Week, there have been 46 K-12 school shootings this year.
Students are advised to report any suspicious activity on campus to U of R Public Safety, who can be reached at 909-748-8888 or extension 8888 from any campus phone.
Photo by Photo Editor Kyle Eaton.
