Campus Alert Archive
Grossmont

A Phoned-In Bomb Threat Cleared Grossmont's Classrooms in the Middle of Summer Session

CAbomb threatemergency notificationmedium confidence
UnfoundedNo evidence of an actual threat was found. The institutional response is documented because the alert communication is identical to what would occur during a real incident.

A bomb threat phoned in to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department around 11:30 a.m. PDT on July 14, 2022, prompted Grossmont College in El Cajon to evacuate a classroom building and clear the surrounding area during summer session, according to East County Magazine. After a search, deputies and campus officials determined the campus was safe and gave the all-clear around 12:15 p.m. PDT. No device was found.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Grossmont College
Community College · CA
~17,000 studentsGCCCD Emergency Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction163 chars
GCCCD Emergency Alert: Bomb threat reported at Grossmont College. Evacuate the affected building immediately and move away from campus. Await further instructions.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed evacuation wording: East County Magazine reported the evacuation and clearing of the area but did not republish the district's exact alert text.
The threat came in by phone to the Sheriff's Department at about 11:30 a.m. PDT while summer classes were in session, triggering the evacuation.
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction152 chars
GCCCD Emergency Alert: All clear. The Sheriff's Department searched the campus and found no device. Grossmont College is safe and activities may resume.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed all-clear matching the reported ~12:15 p.m. PDT green-light to resume activities; exact wording not published.
This message is classified as an all-clear because it explicitly lifts the evacuation and reports no device found, unlike the initial evacuation order.
Context

Background

On July 14, 2022, a bomb threat was phoned in to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department at about 11:30 a.m. PDT targeting Grossmont College in El Cajon, part of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. East County Magazine reported that summer classes were in session when the threat came in, and district, college, and law-enforcement officials responded by evacuating the affected building and clearing the area. After a search of the building and surrounding structures, the Sheriff's Department gave the green light to resume activities around 12:15 p.m. PDT, with no device found. The San Diego Sheriff's Office confirmed the response. The Grossmont-Cuyamaca district uses an Everbridge-based emergency notification system to push such alerts.
Analysis

Key Findings

A phoned-in bomb threat during summer session forced evacuation of a Grossmont College classroom building
Deputies found no device and cleared the campus roughly 45 minutes after the threat, around 12:15 p.m. PDT
The incident was determined unfounded; no device and no injuries
Outcome
The Sheriff's Department searched the building and surrounding area, found no device, and cleared the campus to resume activities at about 12:15 p.m. PDT.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Grossmont College Safe After Bomb Threat
    eastcountymagazine.org
  2. Social
    San Diego Sheriff's Office responding to reported bomb threat at Grossmont College
    facebook.com
  3. Official
    GCCCD Emergency Preparedness
    gcccd.edu
Tags
bomb-threatemergency-notificationcaliforniacommunity-collegeevacuationunfoundedel-cajonUnfounded
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion