MARYSVILLE — Marysville Pilchuck High School was locked down for three hours after a false active shooting threat was reported Friday morning, the day after the 10th anniversary of a mass shooting at the school.
Around 10 a.m. Friday morning, over a dozen officers from neighboring jurisdictions rushed to the school.
Officers searched the school. No one was injured. Just after noon, police left the school.
An armed officer stands outside of Marysville Pilchuck High School on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024 in Marysville, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Authorities quickly learned the threat was likely a swatting attempt from an IP address in California, in which saboteurs deceive police into sending a huge emergency response with a fake report, said Marysville police Cmdr. Robb Lamoureux on Friday. The report came via internet chat from a Veterans Crisis Line, according to police.
Just before 1 p.m., officials announced the lockdown had been lifted. Students were being dismissed for the day.
Thursday was the 10th anniversary of the shooting at the high school that left four students killed. Lamoureux called the timing of the swatting call “suspect,” but there was no way to confirm the reason for picking Marysville Pilchuck.
Oxford High School in Michigan, where four students were killed in a shooting in 2021, was placed on lockdown Thursday after a swatting call. In that case, the local sheriff’s office reported a caller from the Netherlands told police a person in a school bathroom was armed with an AK-47 and a pipe bomb, according to local news reports.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
Gallery
