Photo by: Louie Ortega
Mt. SAC students evacuate the campus after a bomb threat.

By Lyn Taylor

WALNUT–  A threatening note claiming that a bomb was going to be set off at two Walnut campuses forced the lock down and evacuation of Walnut High School and Mt. SAC college on Thursday, March 24.

A note was found by students in the boys’ bathroom at Walnut High around 10:30 a.m., according to Walnut Valley Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Matthew Witmer.  Written in red ink, the note stated that bombs would be blown up at the school and at Mt. SAC at 2:45 p.m. The writer ended the note with, “God be with you all.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was contacted and Walnut High was put on lock-down.  Mt. SAC’s officials decided to evacuate the campus because of its close proximity to Walnut High.

An emergency alert text message was sent to Mt. SAC students around 11:30 a.m., according to campus spokeswoman Jill Dolan. The text read, “Report of a threat to campus at 2:45 p.m.  Calmly leave the campus. Classes and services are closed until at least 4:30 p.m. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”

Deputies and K-9 officers searched both schools with bomb-sniffing dogs before clearing the campuses, according to L.A. Sheriff Department’s Lt. John Saleeby.  Classes resumed at Mt. SAC at 4:30 p.m.

Mt. SAC is the largest community college in the nation with more than 12,000 full-time students.  Although police were directing traffic, roads were crowded and traffic was snarled as thousands tried to leave campus.  Many students complained on social media that it took over an hour to evacuate due to the traffic conditions.  Foothill Transit ordered extra busses to be dispatched to Mt. SAC to help with the evacuation.