Manzanita Elementary School Locked Down After Potential Threat of School Violence
REDDING, CA — “On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at approximately 12:55 PM, the Redding Police Department received an anonymous report of a potential threat of school violence at Manzanita Elementary School, located at 1240 Manzanita Hills Avenue. An unidentified caller reported that he was en route to the school to commit a school shooting.
Redding Police patrol officers and School Resource Officers (SROs) immediately responded to the school. Today was a minimum day, so the regular school day ended at 12:30 PM, and most students were already off campus. However, several students and faculty members were still on campus for various after‑school and daycare programs.
The school was placed in lockdown, and officers coordinated with administrators and faculty to search the school grounds and surrounding areas. No suspect was located. At this time, it does not appear that this was a credible threat, and it does not appear that students or faculty were ever in immediate danger; however, the investigation is ongoing.
School administrators and faculty coordinated with parents to ensure a safe, orderly reunification for children who were still on campus. SROs remained on scene until the last student was safely picked up. As of 4:00 PM, all students have been picked up, and the school is closed for the day. SROs will be present for school drop-off tomorrow morning.
We want to thank school administrators, teachers, students, and parents for their cooperation and collaboration in ensuring a safe response to this incident. Ensuring everyone’s safety, especially children’s, in incidents such as this is our utmost priority.
We are aware of reports that several schools elsewhere were placed on similar lockdowns and shelter‑in‑place procedures in response to suspicious calls, including in Reno, Nevada, and in Orland, Fresno, and Clovis, California. It is still under investigation whether those incidents are related to today’s incident at Manzanita Elementary School.”
