Campus Alert Archive
Citrus

Phoned threat to 'shoot up' campus prompts a six-hour lockdown; caller surrendered

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CAthreat of violenceemergency notificationhigh confidence
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Confirmed Threat

On January 15, 2019, according to police, Terrell Lee Bennett, a 30-year-old online Citrus College student called Glendora police at approximately 11:20 AM PST and threatened to 'shoot up' the campus, prompting a six-hour lockdown at Citrus College and its neighbor Azusa Pacific University. Bennett surrendered peacefully at 3:42 PM PST and the lockdown was lifted at 5:58 PM PST. Police later said his calls appeared to be a suicide-by-cop attempt.

Alerts
6
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Citrus College
Community College · CA
All Citrus cases →
~12,000 studentsCitrus Alert
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

6 messages in sequence · 5 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

Some messages in this sequence are documented (their existence, timing, and channel are sourced) but their exact wording is not preserved in the public record. Those entries appear as placeholders; only confirmed text is displayed.

INITIAL ALERTTwitter/X
Verified verbatim241 chars
Citrus Alert: on 1/15/18 an order has been issued to lock down Citrus College. If you are not on campus, stay away. Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet. Remain locked down until an All Clear has been issued.
Verify this quote
@CitrusCollege on X (verbatim raw t.co)x.comfind archived copies
Verbatim per NBC Los Angeles and Newsweek quoting Citrus College's Twitter posts at the start of the lockdown
Issued after Glendora police received a phone call threatening to 'shoot up' Citrus College; police later arrested and charged Terrell Lee Bennett
The instruction sequence directs recipients to stay away, locate a shelter room, lock down, and await an all-clear
UPDATETwitter/X
Wording not preserved

This message is documented at this point in the sequence, but its exact wording is not preserved in the public record. The public edition displays only confirmed alert text.

@CitrusCollege on X (verbatim raw t.co)
ALL CLEARTwitter/X
Verified verbatim167 chars
Citrus Alert: 1/15/19 6 pm Lockdown lifted. College closed. Evening classes are canceled. Check http://www.citruscollege.edu for updates about Wed. 1/16/19 operations.
Verify this quote
@CitrusCollege on X (verbatim raw t.co)x.comfind archived copies
Verbatim text confirmed: CC Clarion (Citrus College's student newspaper) and The Chimes/SACMedia both quote this exact Citrus Alert tweet lifting the lockdown at approximately 6 PM PST on January 15, 2019.
The t.co URL shortener link (https://t.co/SDsCLrYjko) is preserved as part of the verbatim text; it appeared in the original tweet and directed recipients to the college's emergency operations page.
The date-stamp format '1/15/19 6 pm' embedded in the tweet body is an unusual convention, providing a permanent record of the lift time within the message itself.
The two-hour gap between Bennett's surrender at 3:42 PM PST and the lockdown lift at 5:58 PM PST reflects the time required to sweep and clear all campus buildings.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

Citrus Alert: on 1/15/18 an order has been issued to lock down Citrus College. If you are not on campus, stay away. Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet. Remain locked down until an All Clear has been issued.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: signed with the branded 'Citrus Alert' signature.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: 'Citrus Alert' branded signature
    2. present: Signed Citrus Alert.
    3. present: Signed 'Citrus Alert'
    4. present: 'Citrus Alert' identifies the sending alert system.
    5. present: 'Citrus Alert' branded signature
    6. present: Signed 'Citrus Alert'.
    7. present: Signed 'Citrus Alert'.
    8. present: Branded 'Citrus Alert' signature.
    9. present: 'Citrus Alert'
    10. present: 'Citrus Alert' branded signature.
    11. present: Citrus Alert branded signature
    12. present: 'Citrus Alert' is the branded sender signature.
    13. present: 'Citrus Alert' branded signature.
    14. present: Signed "Citrus Alert".
    15. present: 'Citrus Alert' branded signature
    16. present: Branded 'Citrus Alert'.
    17. present: Branded 'Citrus Alert'
    18. present: 'Citrus Alert' branded signature identifies sender.
    19. present: 'Citrus Alert' signature.
    20. present: Branded "Citrus Alert" signature.
    21. present: 'Citrus Alert' branded signature identifies sender.
    22. present: 'Citrus Alert' branded signature.
    23. present: Branded 'Citrus Alert' signature.
    24. present: Citrus Alert, Citrus College
    25. present: 'Citrus Alert' branded signature.
  • Hazardabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: only a lockdown order is stated; no specific hazard type causing it is named.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No specific hazard named, only 'an order has been issued to lock down'
    2. absent: Only says lockdown order issued, no specific hazard type named.
    3. absent: Only 'lock down' order stated, no specific hazard named
    4. absent: Only 'order has been issued to lock down' described, no specific threat named.
    5. absent: 'lock down' order described, no specific hazard type named
    6. absent: 'lock down' order given but no specific threat/hazard is named.
    7. absent: No specific hazard named, only 'lock down' order.
    8. absent: 'lock down Citrus College' is a directive, not a named specific threat hazard.
    9. absent: No specific hazard named, only a lockdown order
    10. absent: Only 'lock down' order named, no specific hazard type given.
    11. absent: lock down order given but underlying threat not specifically named
    12. absent: No specific hazard is named, only that a lockdown order was issued.
    13. absent: 'lock down' is a response/status, no specific hazard type named.
    14. absent: "lock down Citrus College" describes a status, not a specific threat type.
    15. absent: Only 'lock down' order stated, no specific hazard named
    16. absent: No specific hazard named, just 'an order has been issued to lock down'.
    17. absent: Only says 'an order has been issued to lock down', no specific threat named
    18. absent: 'lock down' is described as an order but no specific threat is named.
    19. absent: Only 'an order... to lock down', no specific hazard named.
    20. absent: No specific threat named, only a "lock down" order without cause stated.
    21. absent: Only 'lock down' order stated, no specific hazard named.
    22. absent: Only 'lock down' order mentioned, no specific hazard named.
    23. absent: 'lock down' is a directive/situation, not a named specific threat type.
    24. absent: 'Order to lock down' does not name a specific hazard
    25. absent: 'lock down Citrus College' names an action, not a specific hazard type.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: 'Citrus College' clearly names the location.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: 'Citrus College'
    2. present: Citrus College given.
    3. present: 'Citrus College' and 'nearest room'
    4. present: Names 'Citrus College'.
    5. present: 'Citrus College'
    6. present: 'Citrus College'.
    7. present: References 'Citrus College' and 'campus'.
    8. present: 'Citrus College' names the location.
    9. present: 'Citrus College'
    10. present: Citrus College named.
    11. present: Citrus College
    12. present: 'Citrus College' gives the location.
    13. present: 'Citrus College' given.
    14. present: "Citrus College" is named.
    15. present: 'Citrus College'
    16. present: 'Citrus College'.
    17. present: 'Citrus College' named
    18. present: 'Citrus College'.
    19. present: 'Citrus College'.
    20. present: Names "Citrus College".
    21. present: 'Citrus College' names location.
    22. present: 'Citrus College'.
    23. present: 'Citrus College' given.
    24. present: Citrus College campus
    25. present: 'Citrus College' named.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: detailed instructions to go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock the door, and remain quiet clearly instruct recipients.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet'
    2. present: Go to nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, remain quiet.
    3. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet'
    4. present: Instructs to 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet'.
    5. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door'
    6. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, remain quiet.'
    7. present: Instructs to go to nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, remain quiet.
    8. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet'.
    9. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, remain quiet'
    10. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, remain quiet'.
    11. present: Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, remain quiet
    12. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet' instructs recipients.
    13. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet'.
    14. present: "Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet".
    15. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door'
    16. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet'.
    17. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet'
    18. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet'.
    19. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet.'
    20. present: Instructs to "lock door, and remain quiet".
    21. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet' is detailed guidance.
    22. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet.'
    23. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, and remain quiet'.
    24. present: Go to nearest room, lock door, remain quiet
    25. present: 'Go to the nearest room, turn off lights, lock door, remain quiet.'
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: the specific date '1/15/18' plus 'until an All Clear has been issued' conveys timing.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: 'on 1/15/18'
    2. present: Specific date 1/15/18 given.
    3. present: 'on 1/15/18' gives a date
    4. present: States date '1/15/18' the order was issued.
    5. present: 'on 1/15/18' gives a date
    6. present: Date '1/15/18' given plus 'until an All Clear has been issued'.
    7. present: Gives date '1/15/18' and 'Remain locked down until an All Clear'.
    8. present: Gives date 'on 1/15/18' and 'Remain locked down until an All Clear'.
    9. present: 'on 1/15/18' date given
    10. present: Date '1/15/18' given.
    11. present: on 1/15/18, until an All Clear has been issued
    12. present: 'on 1/15/18' gives a date.
    13. present: '1/15/18' date given.
    14. present: "on 1/15/18" gives a date.
    15. present: 'on 1/15/18' and 'until an All Clear has been issued'
    16. present: Date given: '1/15/18'.
    17. present: Gives date '1/15/18'
    18. present: 'on 1/15/18' gives a date.
    19. present: Gives the date '1/15/18'.
    20. present: Gives date "1/15/18".
    21. present: 'on 1/15/18' and 'until an All Clear' convey timing.
    22. present: Date given '1/15/18' and 'Remain locked down until an All Clear'.
    23. present: '1/15/18' date given.
    24. present: 1/15/18 date given
    25. present: Date '1/15/18' and 'Remain locked down until an All Clear' given.
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous: no stated consequence or severity, since no specific hazard is even named.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No stated consequence
    2. absent: No consequence stated.
    3. absent: No stated harm or severity
    4. absent: No stated consequence conveyed.
    5. absent: No stated harm or severity conveyed
    6. absent: No stated consequence or severity described.
    7. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    8. absent: No stated potential harm since no specific hazard is named.
    9. absent: No stated consequence or severity
    10. absent: No stated consequence given.
    11. absent: No stated consequence given
    12. absent: No stated consequence given.
    13. absent: No stated harm or severity described.
    14. absent: No stated harm or severity.
    15. absent: No stated consequence
    16. absent: No stated consequence.
    17. absent: No stated consequence given
    18. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    19. absent: No stated harm or severity.
    20. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    21. absent: No stated consequence or severity described.
    22. absent: No stated harm or severity conveyed.
    23. absent: No stated consequence or severity.
    24. absent: No stated consequence
    25. absent: No stated harm or severity conveyed.

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

At approximately 11:20 AM PST on Tuesday, January 15, 2019, according to police, Terrell Lee Bennett, a 30-year-old online Citrus College student from Chino, called the Glendora Police Department and threatened to 'shoot up' the Citrus College campus. Police said he called again around 3:40 PM PST. Citrus College and neighboring Azusa Pacific University both went on hours-long lockdown while Glendora Police, the LA County Sheriff and APU public safety coordinated the response. Bennett surrendered peacefully at 3:42 PM PST. Police later told CBS Los Angeles that his calls appeared to be a 'suicide-by-cop' attempt, a pattern in which suicidal individuals provoke armed police response in the hope of being killed. The lockdown was lifted at 5:58 PM PST. Bennett was charged with making criminal threats.
Analysis

Key Findings

Police said Bennett, an online Citrus College student, was scheduled to attend an in-person class on the day of the threat
Police characterized the calls as a suicide-by-cop attempt, a category of threat that traditional active-shooter protocols may not address
Two campuses (Citrus and APU) locked down for nearly six hours over a single phoned-in threat, demonstrating regional cascade effects of threats in dense college areas
Outcome
Bennett surrendered without further incident at 3:42 PM PST and was charged with making criminal threats. The lockdown was lifted at 5:58 PM PST. Students were safely evacuated and released. APU also lifted its concurrent lockdown that evening.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. News
    Student Arrested After Phone Threat Prompts Lockdowns at Citrus College, Azusa Pacific University (KTLA)
    ktla.com
    archived copy
  2. News
    Threat Prompts Lockdowns at Citrus College, Azusa Pacific University (NBC Los Angeles)
    nbclosangeles.com
    archived copy
  3. News
    Suspect In Citrus College Shooting Threat Arrested (Patch)
    patch.com
    archived copy
  4. News
    Online Student Scheduled For In-Person Class Threatened To 'Shoot Up' Citrus College, Sought Suicide By Cop (CBS Los Angeles)
    cbsnews.com
    archived copy
  5. Student Paper
    Citrus on lockdown after suspicious threat (CC Clarion)
    ccclarion.com
    archived copy
  6. Official
    @CitrusCollege on X (verbatim raw t.co)
    x.com
    archived copy
  7. Official
    @CitrusCollege on X (verbatim raw t.co)
    x.com
    archived copy
  8. Official
    @CitrusCollege on X (verbatim raw t.co)
    x.com
    archived copy
  9. Official
    @CitrusCollege on X (verbatim raw t.co)
    x.com
    archived copy
  10. Official
    @CitrusCollege on X (verbatim raw t.co)
    x.com
    archived copy
  11. Official
    @CitrusCollege on X (verbatim raw t.co)
    x.com
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "Citrus College: Phoned threat to 'shoot up' campus prompts a six-hour lockdown; caller surrendered." Incident of January 15, 2019. Added May 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/citrus-college-suicide-by-cop-threat-2019-01-15/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
threat-of-violencelockdowncaliforniacommunity-collegecitrus-collegesuicide-by-coponline-studentazusa-pacificregional-cascade
Added May 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion