LYNNWOOD — Classes were canceled at Meadowdale High School Friday after someone claiming to be a student threatened to bring a gun to the Lynnwood campus and shoot people.
The threat was made anonymously in an online forum Thursday night, Lynnwood Police Department spokeswoman Shannon Sessions said.
Police received a tip around 9:30 p.m. That information was relayed to the Edmonds School District, which soon decided to cancel Friday classes.
“Several tips followed the first from different people across the U.S. who viewed this single anonymous threat,” Sessions said.
Lynnwood detectives have asked federal law enforcement agencies for help in identifying a suspect, Sessions said.
School officials said they simply couldn’t take any chances opening the campus.
“It’s always a tough decision, but it’s not that tough when you want to make the best decision for the staff and students’ safety,” Edmonds School District spokeswoman DJ Jakala said.
Closing classrooms kept roughly 1,500 students and 90 staff members off the campus Friday.
Jakala said she has received no information about whether the threat was believed to have been made by a student or someone else.
“Regardless of whether or not this is a student, we are hoping that law enforcement does everything they can to see this through the justice system,” Jakala said. “It’s not funny. It’s not appropriate and it’s wrong.”
Police didn’t know if the person making the Internet post was serious about following up on the threat.
“Whether or not the threat is credible, that is being investigated at this time,” Sessions said.
The high school’s website showed that senior project portfolios were due at 7:30 a.m. Friday. That is a graduation requirement.
Some people posted about the threat on social media sites, wondering if that was related.
After-school activities scheduled for Meadowdale High School were canceled, including the school’s talent show.
“There’s been a lot of disruption,” Jakala said.
The Lynnwood Police Department asks that anyone with information about the threat call detectives at 425-670-5619.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com
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