PREVIOUSLY:

• Sheriff’s Office Provides Details on What Led to McKinleyville High School’s Five Lockdowns in Eight Days
• McK High Parents Express Frustration and Fear in Face of Lockdowns; Sheriff’s Office Says it Believes That It’s Close to Identifying a Suspect
• Sheriff’s Office Says it Has Identified Suspect in McK High Lockdowns, and Has Deemed Previous Threats ‘Not Credible’

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Jan. 28th, 2026, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested 23-year-old Tyler Leroy Hilbert of Calhoun, Missouri, on federal charges stemming from the numerous threats made against McKinleyville High School in Nov. and Dec. 2023. 

The list of threats:

• Nov. 28, 2023-Caller reporting man on campus with a gun in a holster
• Nov. 29, 2023-Caller reporting man on campus and reported looked like he was pointing it at the ground and had an AR rifle on his back
• Dec. 5, 2023-Caller reporting he is on campus with a weapon and stating he is going to shoot people.
• Dec. 5, 2023-Caller reporting he had planted a bomb in the rear parking lot 
• Dec. 5, 2023-Caller reporting he is going to shoot this time
• Dec. 7, 2023- Caller reporting an armed subject on campus

The threats were extremely serious and caused disruption, panic, distress and emotional turmoil for students, faculty, parents and the surrounding community. 

The Humboldt County Major Crimes Detectives conducted a thorough investigation, including database searches, interviews, coordinated with multiple law enforcement partners, and secured several search warrants that were vital to this case. It was through these efforts that detectives positively identified Tyler Hilbert as the individual responsible for the threats and determined that the calls were being made from out of state.

Due to the interstate nature of the offenses, detectives requested assistance from our local FBI field office in Fortuna. When Hilbert was identified, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office officially turned the case over to the FBI.

On Jan. 27, Hilbert was indicted on numerous federal charges and was arrested by the FBI (Kansas City Division) on Jan. 28th and following his initial court appearance, was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service in Kansas City, where he is being detained pending a formal detention hearing.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office wants to thank the McKinleyville High School staff, students and school Superintendent Roger MacDonald, the FBI and partnering agencies for their assistance in this investigation.

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.