Administrators at CalArts shut the college campus down Monday to “err of the side of caution,” allowing local sheriff’s deputies to investigate, after school officials noticed a “possible threat” posted on Twitter.
“Deputies are investigating a threat made on social media,” Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, told The Signal on Monday, noting the deputies were on the emptied campus following up on the Twitter report.
“They started working on it last night, and are now conducting a threat assessment for CalArts,” she said.
As soon as administrators at the California Institute of the Arts learned of the situation, they identified it as a “possible threat to campus security,” CalArts spokeswoman Margaret Crane told The Signal.
“The Institute’s security personnel are working with law-enforcement to evaluate the situation. CalArts will err on the side of caution and close the campus today, June 4, 2018, at 11:30 a.m.” the statement noted, “to ensure the safety of its students, staff, and faculty.”
When CalArts spokesman was asked about the nature of the threat, he said: “It’s still under investigation. It was enough for us to notify the sheriff,” Jim Wolken, CalArts spokesman, said Monday.
The statement also asked anyone concerned to check the CalArts News page for further updates.
