On October 20, 2022, at around 1:00 p.m., the El Paso County Sheriff's Office assigned School Resource Officer was notified of a threatening note found in a restroom at Palmer Ridge High School. This note referenced a bomb threat scheduled for the next day, October 21, 2022. 

School administration, school security, and the assigned School Resource Officer immediately implemented safety protocols while simultaneously enacting an investigation. This investigation took place over the course of 15 minutes where the team quickly determined there was no credible threat, and all students were safe. The team confirmed the identity of the student who wrote the note, which added confidence to this determination. Throughout this process, school administration worked closely with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. An arrest was made on a juvenile and appropriate disciplinary action through the school administration is in process. 

The juvenile was charged with False Report of Explosives (Felony) and Interference with Staff, Faculty or Students of Educational Institutions (Misdemeanor). He was served and released to a parent. This juvenile will not be identified due to his age.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the School District 38 security team and the Palmer Ridge High School administration for their initial handling of this incident.  We value our excellent working relationship with them and remain committed to the safety of the students and staff who attend all of the various schools and school districts that serve the hundreds of thousands of residents who live in the unincorporated portions of El Paso County.