MORE INFORMATION CALL: Cathedral City Police (760) 770-0300
Issuing Employee: Commander Paul Herrera – 760-770-0308 – pherrera@cathedralcity.gov
Type of Case: Criminal 422 PC – Criminal Threats / #1912C-0440
Date/Time Reported: December 3, 2019 /12:05 AM
Location of Occurrence: City of Cathedral City / City of Palm Springs – Palm Springs High School
SUSPECT INFORMATION:
Name: Confidential (information)
Age: 17
City of Residence: Cathedral City, CA
SUMMARY:
On 12/02/2019 the Palm Springs Police Department (PSPD) was notified of a possible cyber-threat made on a social-media posting. The post depicted what appeared to be a handgun displayed by a male juvenile and was accompanied by verbal threats indicating the male wanted to shoot people at or near Palm Springs High School. During the investigation, the person making the threats was identified as a 17-year-old Palm Springs High School student and a resident of Cathedral City. The Cathedral City Police Department (CCPD) was notified of the incident and started conducting the primary investigation into the post. The Palm Springs Police Department and Palm Springs Unified School District aided in the investigation.
The known threats were not made directly to students at Palm Springs High School however, these threats were treated seriously by the Palm Springs Police Department and the Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD) – who increased presence at and around the school as a precaution and increased campus-security this morning.
(Since the original posting, the juvenile has posted to social media saying he had no intentions of shooting anyone. However, these threats are being taken seriously by PSPD and PSUSD personnel. We remind you that if you have any information about further threats related to this investigation, we encourage you to contact the Palm Springs Police Department or the Cathedral City Police Department.)
UPDATED INFORMATION:
CCPD detectives continued their investigation this morning and with detectives from the Palm Springs Police Department (and deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department) tracked the suspect to an address in the 42000 Block of Hovely Gardens in the City of Palm Desert. Detectives conducted interviews at that location (which was the address of an uninvolved juvenile) and established the suspect just left that location. Detectives continued their investigation and were able to locate him outside the Westfield Town Center (72-840 Hwy 111, Palm Desert, CA). At approx. 9:30 AM, he was taken into custody by the Cathedral City Police Department (without incident) and was transported to the Cathedral City Police Department to continue the investigation. Charges are currently pending. No further information will be released at this time.