As Carlmont students laughed about skipping class due to a Secure Campus, students in Colorado huddled behind cabinets and under desks, praying that they weren’t next.

What most Carlmont students didn’t realize was that the two situations were more similar than they thought.

Carlmont’s administration first became aware of the potential issue on Sept. 10 through the Say Something app, a reporting system provided by Sandy Hook Promise, which allows students to submit anonymous tips reporting suspicious activity. 

Around 11:50 a.m., a Carlmont student reported his friend after the friend posted “concerning content” on social media, according to a statement from the Atherton Police Department.

“A few days before the Secure Campus, I got sent an image of a weapon from him, making me concerned initially. Then, the day before, he shared a map of Menlo-Atherton on his close friends story on Instagram,” said Liam Jackson*, the reporter of the tip.

Jackson began getting worried, not knowing what to do with this information. During the Flex period just before lunch on Sept. 10, teachers were instructed to show their students a video that informed them how to use the Say Something anonymous reporting app.

“When they showed us the video, I was reminded of what he had posted, and decided to report it,” Jackson said.

After assessing the tip, Carlmont Principal Gay Buckland-Murray decided to alert the Belmont Police Department.

“We notified the Belmont Police Department about it, and as we worked with them about the material in the tip, we decided to go on Secure Campus as a precautionary measure,” Buckland-Murray said.

Buckland-Murray declined to comment on any connection between the Carlmont and Menlo-Atherton incidents.

“It was communicated to us that there may be a threat to either the Menlo-Atherton campus or the Carlmont campus, so out of an abundance of caution, we placed Carlmont on Secure Campus,” said Lieutenant Peter Lotti of the Belmont Police Department. 

At 12:15 p.m., Carlmont High School went into a Secure Campus, causing students to run to their second-period class or the nearest room they could find. 

“It wasn’t handled very well, because once they said it wasn’t a drill, everyone panicked. Some people couldn’t make it to their second-period class, like those in F Hall, who had to run across campus,” said Jessica Sun, a Carlmont junior.

At 12:55 p.m., around the beginning of fifth period, Menlo-Atherton High School went into Secure Campus after assessing the Say Something threat, according to a message from Menlo-Atherton Principal Karl Losekoot.

“We were able to secure the perimeter of the campus and also control the flow of students on campus, keeping everyone safe,” Principal Losekoot said in his message.  

By 2 p.m., both campuses were deemed safe, and the Secure Campus was lifted.

However, just a couple of hours earlier, at around 12:30 p.m. MST (11:30 p.m. PST), Evergreen High School in Evergreen, Colorado, reported an active shooter to the sheriff’s office.

“I personally felt pretty scared about the Colorado shooting because you never truly know when your school is going to be at risk,” Sun said.

The Evergreen High School shooting ended with two students critically injured after being shot. The 16-year-old shooter ultimately committed suicide right after.

“I just thought about it and thought of what would happen if I didn’t report it. That would’ve been awful,” Jackson said.

To report a tip, you can use either the app or the website to state your school and describe the incident. While Say Something is anonymous, Jackson decided to add his full name to assist the police with their investigation.

“It was very easy to use the app, and the police responded really quickly,” Jackson said.

Some students report not thinking the video was important, and didn’t consider that the Say Something app could genuinely stop threats.

“I thought the threat was a prank. A lot of people don’t take Say Something seriously, and since no one knew what was going on, people didn’t care,” Sun said.

According to Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), since 1999, the average yearly rate of students exposed to a school shooting in the US has nearly tripled. This raises the need for an accessible solution that schools can implement.

See Something, Say Something provided a way for Carlmont and Menlo-Atherton to avoid what could’ve been a deadly situation, but the app doesn’t come without its flaws.

“While I’m grateful for all the presentations they’ve prepared for us and the drills we’ve executed, overall, students don’t really feel the need to take these practices seriously. I’m scared for what will happen when we truly have to face an emergency situation that our school may not be well prepared for,” Sun said.

This incident served as a wake-up call for the Carlmont community, revealing gaps in student perception, preparedness, and the Say Something system. Nevertheless, the outcome at Carlmont and Menlo-Atherton was a far better outcome than the tragedy seen in Colorado hours earlier, reminding students of the importance of taking action.

“I’m pretty sad because he’s probably not going to be my friend right now, and he’s definitely very mad at me,” Jackson said, “But I think I made the right choice.”

*This source’s name has been changed to protect their privacy in accordance with Carlmont Media’s Scot Scoop Anonymous Sourcing Policy. 

This story was originally published on Scot Scoop News on September 18, 2025.