Wheatland Union High School in Yuba County, California, was forced to close on Tuesday, August 18, after an anonymous bomb threat was received, according to reports.
The Wheatland Police Department received the threat overnight, which used a fake, AI-generated voice to demand $15,000 in cash, Superintendent Nicole Newman told Fox 40. The caller claimed a bomb was set to detonate at the school unless the ransom was paid.
Law enforcement officers conducted a perimeter check of the campus before dawn and alerted district officials. Despite the superintendent's initial assessment that the threat was a non-credible hoax, mirroring a national trend of AI-driven “swatting” attacks, the district initiated a lockdown due to concerns for student safety.
Specialized explosive-detection K-9 units from neighboring agencies were called in to assist local police in scanning the large high school campus. The search took longer than anticipated, prompting officials to cancel classes for the day.
"Rather than continue to delay the start of school, we are canceling classes for today so law enforcement can finish thoroughly and without pressure," Newman stated. Students were gathered at a nearby Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, awaiting pickup.
Parents were expected to receive an update regarding Wednesday's school schedule later that evening. The incident highlights growing concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence for malicious purposes.