Police Say Man Didn’t Mean Schoolyard Shooting Threat

A Woodland Hills man arrested Monday after allegedly threatening to use a firearm to quiet noisy schoolchildren apparently did not intend to follow through, authorities said Tuesday.

Michael Allan Munt, 36, told police he was angry that noise from an elementary school near his home was keeping his terminally ill father from sleeping. Munt lives with his elderly parents.

“At this time, we have no indications that he intended to follow through with the threat,” Los Angeles Police Lt. William Gaida said. “I’m sure he regrets making the statement. People say things when they are angry.”

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office Tuesday charged Munt with one felony count of making a threat against a school official, said Capt. John Higgins, commander of the Police Department’s West Valley Division. If convicted, Munt could face a $10,000 fine and up to a year in jail. He is free on $5,000 bail.

School Letting Out

Munt was arrested after he went to Calabash Street School about 2:50 p.m. and told an official to order the children to be quiet. School was letting out and students were boarding buses and waiting for rides in front of the school, which is across the street from Munt’s home in the 4700 block of Degovia Avenue, school officials said.

Told that it would be difficult to make the children be quiet, Munt allegedly replied, “If you don’t do it, I’m going to get my AK-47 and I’ll take care of it,” Higgins said.

Munt has no criminal record and doesn’t fit the profile of someone who would follow through on his threat, Higgins said. Munt has no guns registered to him and a search of his house turned up no weapon, he said.

Police also said Munt has no history of complaining about the school.

School administrators and police met with about 50 parents at the school Tuesday in an attempt to alleviate their fears.

Court Order Possible

Jack Jacobson, region administrator, said the Los Angeles Unified School District will “pursue the possibility” of trying to obtain a court order preventing Munt from coming on the school campus. He said the district will provide funds to hire a full-time aide to check the identification of anyone entering the school’s front gate.

Ron Block, who has a son at the school, said he believes school officials and police handled the situation responsibly. He suggested that parents send a letter to Munt to let him know they are in sympathy with his plight in caring for his father.

Another parent, Nick Coates, said he was shocked that Munt was out of jail Tuesday morning and urged school officials holding Tuesday’s meeting to inform as many parents as possible about the facts of the situation.

Munt could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, the school has rerouted buses to the back of the campus to try to reduce noise near Munt’s home, said site administrator Marge Roten.

“We’re asking parents to pick up their children there, too,” she said.

Police said they will provide extra patrols at the campus.