The Brighton Police Department assures the community that there is no ongoing threat to students or the public following the activation of a fire alarm at Brighton High School earlier today. The alarm was triggered by an equipment malfunction, and there is no evidence to suggest it was manually pulled.
Multiple police units responded to the school shortly after 10:30 a.m. in response to threats of violence circulating on social media across the region. Brighton Police School Resource Officers were already on scene and immediately implemented precautionary measures to ensure the safety of students and staff.
At approximately 11:15 a.m., it was confirmed that the alarm activation was due to a malfunction. While there was no immediate danger, the Brighton Police Department is continuing to investigate the source of the social media threats. As a precaution, there will be an increased police presence around Brighton High School in the coming days.
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call the Brighton Police tip line at 303-655-8740 or submit a Safe2Tell report. The safety of students remains our top priority, and we are working closely with 27J Schools to ensure the continued well-being of the community.
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Follow-up information released Sept. 18 at 12 p.m.
We recognize that yesterday’s fire alarm malfunction at Brighton High School, combined with ongoing social media threats in the region, is frightening and disruptive to the educational environment. The investigation by police and fire personnel confirmed that the fire alarm was triggered by an internal switch and not manually activated. At this time, no arrests have been made in relation to this incident and no weapons have been recovered at or around Brighton schools since the threats began circulating on Tuesday. There was an unrelated traffic arrest made near Brighton High School during the same time this incident occurred.
Brighton Police Department is continuing to investigate the origins of the social media posts and working to identify those responsible for creating and disseminating these messages. False reporting of school threats is a criminal offense in Colorado and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Brighton Police Department, in partnership with 27J Schools, employs at least one School Resource Officer at each high school and middle school. We have increased patrols around these areas and will continue to do so in the coming days. We are aware of threats circulating in other schools and districts throughout Colorado and the nation, and we recognize how unsettling these situations can be for students, staff, and families.
We want our community to know that we take every threat seriously. Our School Resource Officers are receiving a significant number of calls from concerned families. You can help us by using the appropriate channels for reporting suspicious activity or information, through our dispatch line at 303-288-1535 or through Safe2Tell. Any questions about school operations should be directed to 27J Schools at 303-655-2954.
Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our community. We will continue to respond swiftly to assess the credibility of any threats and remain committed to providing timely and accurate updates to the public.