A San Francisco man is facing a fresh round of criminal charges after police say a string of violent threats left an elementary school and a middle school locked down for hours. Officers arrested 41-year-old Anatoly Smolkin on Wednesday at about 3:42 PM, capping several tense days that included both online messages and face-to-face encounters that rattled students, staff, and parents.
What investigators say
According to KRON4, court documents state that Smolkin first posted a threatening message on a school’s social media account on Monday. The next day, Tuesday, he allegedly showed up in the school parking lot and threatened people inside the building. On Wednesday, investigators say, he returned and made similar threats, which led staff to lock down both campuses while police responded.
KRON4 reports that officers identified Smolkin using surveillance footage and arrested him later that afternoon. In court filings, he is also accused of threatening to shoot several city leaders if he was not released.
His record, in context
Smolkin has a lengthy history of threatening behavior. In 2023, he was convicted of making criminal threats against a San Francisco synagogue, and he has had earlier stalking cases that contributed to his disbarment, according to SFist. CBS San Francisco has reported that his history and documented struggles with mental health have been ongoing concerns for prosecutors and community leaders in earlier cases.
Charges and court plans
The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, as reported by KRON4, has charged Smolkin with two counts of making threats of violence at a sensitive location, two counts of making criminal threats, and two counts of resisting an executive officer. Prosecutors told the station they plan to ask a judge at his Friday arraignment to revoke his felony probation and to keep him in custody without bail while the case moves forward. Police say Smolkin was convicted of felony resisting less than two months before the latest incident…