The discovery of a threatening graffiti message scrolled on the wall of a girls' bathroom prompted police to step up patrols at High Tech High in Point Loma Tuesday.
School officials notified parents via email after they found the graffiti containing a "threat of action" on campus. The email said the school would open with additional police presence in response to the threat.
Several SDPD officers could be seen patrolling the campus Tuesday morning.
"Student safety is of paramount importance to all of us," school officials stated, in the email sent to parents. "The goal here is to take this opportunity to engage our entire community in being mindful, communicative and vigilant while going about our daily routines."
The school is working with law enforcement to actively investigate the incident, according to the email. Students will participate in age-appropriate discussions about the importance of communication in regards to safety.
This comes one week after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in south Florida, which left 17 victims dead and many others wounded.
"The tragedy in Florida has left many of us thinking about safety in public spaces, including our schools, and has raised sensitivities, consciousness and altered the way in which we approach our work," stated the email. "As our school colleagues throughout the country are also doing at this time, we are placed in the position of navigating these difficult situations."
Local
In the past week, there have been several incidents that forced increased police presence at local schools in the aftermath of Florida's mass shooting.
Additional security was planned for San Marcos High School Tuesday morning, during a separate investigation into a potential threat. Last Thursday, there were also extra school police officers patrolling San Diego's Scripps Ranch High School after a student's threatening comment.
