Wheatland Union High School was declared safe on Tuesday, August 18, after an early morning computer-generated bomb threat prompted a significant response from law enforcement agencies across the region. The threat, which officials from the Wheatland Police Department and the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office are investigating as a hoax, led to the campus being thoroughly searched and the school day delayed for its nearly 1,100 students. District officials decided to delay school until 8:50 a.m. to allow for a full campus check before students arrived, according to Wheatland Unified High School District Superintendent Nichole Newman.
Yuba County Dispatch received the telephonic bomb threat at approximately 2:07 a.m. on Tuesday, August 18, Wheatland police officials noted. The caller claimed an explosive device had been left on the Wheatland High School campus and would detonate unless a ransom was paid. The incident mobilized a broad array of public safety resources, including the Placer, Sacramento, and Yuba County Sheriff’s Offices, the California Highway Patrol, Beale Air Force Base’s 9th Security Forces Squadron, and local firefighters. Nine explosive detection K-9 teams responded to the scene, conducting an extensive search of the campus.
During the search, Wheatland Road near the campus was blocked to traffic by a contingent of first-responder vehicles. After hours of careful examination, no explosive devices were located, and the high school was declared safe at approximately 11:30 a.m., police reported. Superintendent Newman confirmed that district officials were informed of the threatening call before 6 a.m. She also noted that the call was made using an AI-generated voice, a characteristic consistent with a pattern of hoax threats targeting schools nationwide.
Despite the police determining the threat was not credible, Superintendent Newman emphasized that the district was “treating it seriously.” The late start provided administrators and law enforcement ample time to complete the campus check before students' arrival. The district also brought in additional staff and law enforcement presence for the day, Newman shared. The Wheatland Police Department and the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate the source of the threatening call and the individuals responsible for what they have identified as a hoax.
