Mater Dei Catholic High in Chula Vista Locked Down Due to Hoax Shooting Threat, Arrest Made

Mater Dei High School was briefly locked down on Tuesday afternoon after the Chula Vista Police Department received a threat that there would be an on-campus shooting.

Law enforcement cleared the school after about an hour. Officers were also able to identify a 15-year-old suspect in Chula Vista, who they said was not a student at Mater Dei. The teenager was arrested later Tuesday afternoon.

Mater Dei is NO LONGER on Secure Campus. No threats found. Officers will remain on campus with school security for the remainder of the school day. We thank all students and parents for their patience- allowing our officers and school staff to focus on confirming campus safety.

— Chula Vista Police Department (@ChulaVistaPD) November 28, 2023

The threat of a shooting appeared to have been a hoax. However, it came amid a wave of similar hoaxes — there have been at least 500 such threats against schools nationally in the past year, exploiting existing fears about school shootings and keeping students and staff on edge. Mater Dei High School was similarly targeted in 2022.

Chula Vista Police School Resource Officers are continuing to speak with witnesses and investigate this incident. Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or submit a tip via P3tips (online or mobile application) if they wish to remain anonymous.