Cypress College cancels classes due to threat; former student arrested

CYPRESS (FOX 11 / CNS) - Morning classes were scrubbed at Cypress College in Orange County Monday due to a threat of violence allegedly made by a former student, who was detained for a mental health evaluation.

Authorities determined the threat was not credible, and classes and other activities on campus resumed at noon.

"So far, the reopening process (has) been pretty smooth,'' college spokesman Marc Posner said.

Whittier police were called about 7 p.m. Sunday when the 24-year-old former student sent a text message to a relative threatening to "shoot up a school and commit suicide,'' police said.

The suspect did not mention a specific school or when he allegedly might do it, police said.

Whittier police contacted Cypress police, who alerted Cypress College.

Whittier detectives tracked down the former student, who lives in Pico Rivera, about 5:30 a.m. in the 6300 block of Crossway Drive in Pico Rivera, police said. His mental health was being evaluated, police said.

The former student has no weapons and no weapons registered to him, police said.

The former student had a "history at the campus that raised this tip to a credible threat,'' according to the college. "He was subject to student discipline and subsequently arrested in 2016 for felony vandalism on campus.

"He has also been on campus three times over the last two weeks displaying erratic behavior,'' according to the college.

The college plans to hold a forum on the issue at noon Tuesday.

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