2 students covered in fake blood staged active shooter hoax at Colorado high school, police say

The Denver Post, The Denver Post on Mar 12, 2026

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DENVER — Two students at Adams City High School are accused of calling in a fake bomb threat and a false claim of an active shooter at the Commerce City school on Wednesday, then covering themselves in something meant to look like blood, police said.

The two teens, who were not identified by police because they are juveniles, were arrested on charges of false reporting of explosives and false reporting of an active shooter, both felonies, and interference with staff or faculty of an educational facility, a misdemeanor, the Commerce City Police Department said Wednesday evening.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers from across metro Denver responded to Adams City High, 7200 Quebec Parkway, around 1 p.m. after someone called 911 to report a bomb at the school and the presence of an active shooter, with wounded people supposedly inside the facility, authorities said.

Officials put the school on lockdown, with students and staff secured inside classrooms. Adams City High currently enrolls 1,422 students, according to state records.

Police entered the school, going room to room to clear the building and look for a shooter and any victims, officials said.

Once inside, officers found “what appeared to be a blood trail in several areas of the school,” Commerce City police said.

After searching the school for two hours, police determined there were no victims and no real threat. But they found and arrested two students “who were covered in what looked like fake blood — the same substance officers had encountered in parts of the building,” police said.

“For many, calls of this nature are their worst nightmare,” Commerce City police Chief Darrel Guadnola said in a statement. “Whether a first responder, a parent, a teacher or a student — most will never forget this day. The notion that this call may have been part of a prank is highly disturbing and pulled valuable law enforcement resources away from real emergencies in the Denver metro.”

No students were injured during the lockdown, but one experienced an unrelated medical issue and was transported to a hospital by paramedics as a precaution, Adams County School District 14 officials said. That student was later released to their parents.

District officials also noted that social media posts shared by people who weren’t employees of the district spread inaccurate information that may have alarmed families.

“Adams 14 encourages the public to avoid sharing unverified information on social media during incidents, as it can unintentionally increase fear and confusion for families, divert law enforcement resources and place additional strain on those working to protect students,” Adams 14 officials said in their statement.

Law enforcement officers from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado State Patrol, Westminster Police Department, Thornton Police Department, RTD Police Department, Arvada Police Department, Aurora Police Department, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives responded to the school.

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