Sammamish Shooting Threat Affects Eastlake HS, Other Local Schools

Local schools and districts have responded to a threat of a shooting at Skyline High School posted last night on an open web forum called 4chan with additional security measures, including closing campuses, adding security at the parking lots and doors, and putting outdoor activities on hold.

Skyline is closed and all activities are canceled today, while Sammamish Police continue to search for the person who made a threat to bring a submachine gun to the school today and open fire in the commons.

Nearby, at Eastlake High School, the campus has been closed in a modified lockdown today, meaning students cannot leave for lunch, the doors are locked, and there is extra security on campus, Lake Washington School District spokeswoman Kathryn Reith said.

"This was not suggested by police, we're just taking a few precautions," Reith said. The district sent a letter out this morning to parents of Eastlake and Inglewood Junior High students to make them aware of the situation, and the district is in close contact with the Sammamish Police Department, she said.

Meanwhile, Eastside Catholic School has also added security measures, said its president, Sister Mary Tracy. The school is normally a closed campus, but the doors are locked today and all outdoor activities have been moved indoors. The school also has additional security on site monitoring parking lot traffic, she said.

Outdoor activities at the private Sammamish school will be affected at least through Sunday, Tracy said.

"Right now we're looking at tomorrow and considering many options, like whether we would move the football game," she said. The school is scheduled to face off against Bainbridge in a home game, but is looking at moving the location of the game, though it does not plan to cancel the contest, Tracy said.

Issaquah High School issued the following statement to parents a short time ago:

We know many families have concerns about last night’s online threat against Skyline High School and how that is impacting our own campus. Before opening this morning, we talked with District officials and police, and we learned there is no reason to believe there is any related threat to our school. That being said, we take safety seriously every day, and we turned this into an opportunity to be even more vigilant today. We chose to keep students at IHS during lunch  and were extra attentive to individuals coming and going from our campus. We appreciate the Issaquah Police Department and their precautionary presence at IHS today.    There have been questions regarding after-school activities today.  We are good to go on all events.  All after-school activities will take place as scheduled.   Please be assured that if we had any reason to believe there was an actual threat to our students or staff, we would be reacting quickly and notifying you right away. Safety is our top priority! Even so, if you ever feel uncomfortable or unsafe sending your child to school, make the decision that you feel is best for your own family.  

Paula Phelps, Principal Issaquah High School

The King County Sheriff's Office is scheduled to give a statement to the press this afternoon about the ongoing investigation. At the time of the last report from the Sammamish Police Department, no suspects had been identified in the threat against the school.

Though none of the schools contacted had specific attendance records available, it appears that at least some parents from other area schools have opted to have their students stay home from school today.