Update: Suspect arrested in threats that closed down Modesto Junior College campuses
Authorities made an arrest Friday night after a threat of violence spurred Modesto Junior College officials to shut down and evacuate both campuses of the school.
Courtney Bradford, 27, of Stockton, was identified as the suspect after the threat came into a counselor Friday afternoon. She was located Friday evening in San Joaquin County and arrested on a charge of making threats to a school, according to a post on the Modesto Police Department Facebook page.
Bradford was not listed in the custody log of the Stanislaus County Jail Saturday morning.
MJC Chancellor Henry Yong lifted the lockdown at the school Friday evening and classes were expected to resume as normal on Saturday.
The arrest followed the evacuation of both of the college’s campuses Friday afternoon due to a shooting threat.
“Due to a potential threat to the campus Chancellor Yong has ordered all buildings locked down and all staff and students are instructed to vacate campus immediately until further notice,” reads a message sent via text to students Friday afternoon.
An email sent to employees from Yong at 2:40 p.m. said an online student, who was not on campus at the time, threatened to drive to MJC with her gun and shoot up campus during a phone counseling session.
“She was apparently walking out to her car, the counselor heard her starting the car, and then the phone went dead,” the email said.
The counselor reported the threat to campus security, who notified law enforcement and made the decision to shut down both campuses and the district office.
A follow-up email from MJC President Santanu Bandyopadhyay, sent at 2:46 p.m., said the decision was precautionary, and the student had not been seen on campus.
Modesto police officers went to both campuses as authorities searched for the suspect.
“Based on information gathered during this investigation, it does not appear there is an ongoing threat to students or staff at the school,” MPD said in a post on its Facebook page Friday night.
This story was originally published September 11, 2021 at 8:05 AM.
