Shorecrest HS reopens Thursday after potential threat cancels classes

SHORELINE, Wash. — Classes and after-school activities at Shorecrest High School in Shoreline are resuming Thursday after a possible threat caused cancellations Wednesday.

Shoreline Public Schools officials made the announcement Wednesday night, saying classes will operate on a normal schedule Thursday.

Law enforcement officials did assure the district that there was no “credible or substantiated threat” to students and staff, according to a letter sent to families and staff Wednesday.

In a letter to families and staff late Tuesday night, the Shoreline Public Schools said it received multiple reports there was a potential threat to the high school that may have been related to Monday’s lockdown, when investigators found ammunition in a student’s backpack.

The King County Sheriff’s Office said they’ve identified five 14-year-old boys who were involved in bringing more than 200 rounds of ammunition to the school.

“The thing that scared me a lot was about how much ammo they had. It’s just like - what they were planning on?” a Shorecrest High School student, Raheem Butalep said.

But while that investigation was going on, tips about a shooting threat at Shorecrest started coming in and the district canceled classes for Wednesday.

“The threats we were getting were all rumor-type threats where somebody heard from somebody, who’s heard from somebody else, that something was going to happen,” said Sgt. Ryan Abbott of the King County Sheriff’s Office.

One rumor that kept getting repeated was that a student hid a gun in the woods next to the school, with the intention of retrieving it at some point during the day and using in a potential shooting.

The sheriff’s office had five K-9 teams combing the woods Wednesday morning.

“We checked the park, we checked the school, and we confirmed that that actually didn’t happen,” Abbott said.

He said there was no gun ever found on school grounds or in the woods nearby -- and that so far, there is no evidence of any actual threat made.

“At this time we feel confident there’s no threat to the school or any of the students,” Abbott said.

The five students are not facing any criminal charges at this point and the school district is dealing with the students directly for repercussions.

Abbott said there are still more people to interview and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone who has any information about the incident is asked to contact the Shoreline Police Department at 206-296-3311, dial 911 or use our SafeSchool Alert tip line.

“Canceling school is never a decision we make lightly, but we feel it is necessary to fully ensure the safety of students and staff. We will share more information with you tomorrow after we consult further with school administrators and law enforcement,” the district said.

Anyone who has any information about the incident is asked to contact the Shoreline Police Department at 206-296-3311, dial 911 or use our SafeSchool Alert tip line.

“Canceling school is never a decision we make lightly, but we feel it is necessary to fully ensure the safety of students and staff. We will share more information with you tomorrow after we consult further with school administrators and law enforcement,” the district said.

Related >> FBI to Washington students: Hoax threats aren’t a joke

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