West County school evacuated after threat posted on social media
Harmony Elementary School and Salmon Creek Middle School initially on lockdown, then evacuated
The following information is from the Sonoma County Sheriff Facebook.
UPDATE: 3/11/2025 @ 8:35 am. The suspect in this investigation has been identified as 51-year-old Lee Clark, Cotati. When detectives and deputies contacted Clark, he was found to have a knife on his person.
Clark was booked into the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility on serious charges, including terrorist threats, obstruction, and attempting to possess a weapon on school grounds. Clark remains in jail with his bail amount set at $250,000.
This morning, at 8:59 a.m., Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies assigned to the River Substation were dispatched to a threat at Harmony Elementary School and Salmon Creek Middle School, located at 1935 Bohemian Highway, Occidental.
The schools, which share a campus, were placed into lockdown about 9:30 a.m. by school officials. The threat was made by the father of a student. About 220 students attend the schools.
The school administration then coordinated with staff from the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE), the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management, and the Sheriff's Office on a plan to safely reunify students with their families. All students were successfully reunited with their families by 1 p.m., and no injuries were reported during this incident.
Detectives from the Violent Crimes Unit took over the investigation. At 3:31 p.m., detectives found the suspect in the 200 block of W. Railroad Avenue, Penngrove. Detectives and deputies took the suspect into custody.
The Sheriff's Office takes every school threat seriously and will always take appropriate action to ensure students and faculty are safe in our schools. We appreciate the quick response from school officials.
Prepared by Sergeant Juan Valencia, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, Public Information Officer