Incident 1746: Repeated Bomb Threat Calls, Some Reportedly AI-Generated, Disrupted Schools in Wheatland, California

Description: A series of anonymous bomb threat calls, some reportedly using AI-generated voices, targeted Wheatland Union High School and Bear River Middle School in Wheatland, California. The calls prompted an evacuation, canceled or delayed classes, and repeated campus searches. Police deemed the initial threats hoaxes. Schools added overnight security and other precautions as further calls continued.

Editor Notes: Incident ID date is marked 08/18/2026; the ID was created 10/10/2026. The recurring Wheatland-area threats are grouped as one incident series. Reporting attributes the initial calls and the third threat to AI; the fourth call's AI involvement and a common perpetrator remain unconfirmed.

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Alleged: Synthetic media generation technology developers and Synthetic audio generation technology developers developed an AI system deployed by Synthetic media creators , Malicious actors , Information manipulation actors in the United States , Information manipulation actors and Hoax threat perpetrators, which harmed Wheatland Union High School (California) , Teachers , Students , Minors , Middle schools , Middle school students , High schools , High school students , Epistemic integrity , Educators , Educational communities targeted by threats , Educational communities , Bear River Middle School (California) , Adolescents and Schools.

Alleged implicated AI systems: Synthetic media generation technology and Synthetic audio generation technology

Incident Stats

Incident ID

1746

Report Count

Incident Date

2026-08-18

Editors

Daniel Atherton

Incident Reports

Reports Timeline

AI-generated bomb threat forces Wheatland High School to evacuate, cancel classes

kcra.com

Bomb threats disrupt Wheatland schools for second straight day

kcra.com

Wheatland area schools receive third AI-generated threat, class remains in session

fox40.com

Wheatland Union High School continues to receive bomb threats, class in session

fox40.com

kcra.com · 2026

YUBA COUNTY, Calif. — An AI-generated bomb threat forced Wheatland Union High School to evacuate students and staff and to cancel classes Tuesday, officials said.

Law enforcement went on to clear the campus. Classes will resume on Wednesday…

kcra.com · 2026

WHEATLAND, Calif. — For the second day in a row, bomb threats disrupted schools in Wheatland, California, with investigators saying the calls were made using an artificial intelligence-generated voice.

Both threats were deemed as "hoax" acc…

fox40.com · 2026

(FOX40.COM) --- Schools in the Wheatland area have received threats for the third day in a row, according to the police department and school districts.

The Wheatland School District and Wheatland Union High School District said in a joint …

fox40.com · 2026

(FOX40.COM) --- Wheatland Union High School will continue operations as normal after receiving another bomb threat on Tuesday, according to officials.

Superintendent Nicole Newman said another anonymous call regarding a bomb was made early …

Variants

A "variant" is an AI incident similar to a known case—it has the same causes, harms, and AI system. Instead of listing it separately, we group it under the first reported incident. Unlike other incidents, variants do not need to have been reported outside the AIID. Learn more from the research paper.

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