AI-fabricated bomb threat forces Wheatland Union High School to shut down

Late Tuesday night, an unidentified individual called Wheatland Union High School using an AI-generated voice and demanded $15,000 in cash to be placed in a box, alleging a bomb would explode otherwise. The Wheatland Police Department responded early Tuesday morning, establishing a perimeter and notifying district officials shortly before 6 a.m. Superintendent Nicole Newman called the threat non-credible but ordered a full lockdown to protect students.

Local police, unable to cover the extensive campus alone, called in specialized explosive-detection K-9 units from surrounding agencies, extending the search time. With the sweep still in progress, the district chose to cancel the day’s classes, gathering students at a nearby Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for parents to collect them. An update on Wednesday’s schedule is expected later that evening.