A threat on social media targeted more than 20 King County and Pierce County schools, including schools in the Renton, Kent and Auburn school districts.
Screenshots circulated social media of a list of Washington schools posted by a TikTok account with the user handle “f-ck washington” in mid-September.
“Targeted schools in my list, Washington,” the post stated with a smiley face emoji prior to listing 22 King County and Pierce County schools, ranging from elementary to high school.
Schools on the list included Valhalla Elementary School of Auburn, Renton High School, Springbrook Elementary School of Kent, Cascade Middle School of Auburn, Kent-Meridian High School, Auburn High School, and schools in Burien, Seattle, SeaTac, and more.
“Son will not be at school today! Protect your kids,” stated one user on social media.
The Seattle Police Department and FBI investigated the threats.
The FBI declined to comment regarding any specific incident.
“While we cannot speak to any particular incidents, the FBI takes potential hoax threats very seriously because they can put innocent people and first responders at risk, disrupt school, and waste resources,” Amy Alexander, a spokesperson for the FBI stated. “We work closely with our law enforcement partners to determine their credibility, share information, and take appropriate investigative action. As always, we encourage members of the public to remain vigilant and immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”
The Seattle Police Department did not immediately respond to request for comment.
According to an email from Meeghan Black, a spokesperson for the Renton Police Department, the department worked with the Renton School District to provide extra patrols in the area.
The Renton Police Department and Renton School District plan to have one school resource officer per each of the three high schools in the district for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Kolby Crossley, a spokesperson for the Auburn Police Department, stated that none of the recent threats to Auburn schools have been substantiated.
“We make sure to check out every single threat that is made thoroughly,” Crossley stated.
Alexander warned against reposting threats on social media.
“We also remind the public if they see a threat online or social media to ‘report and not repost,’” Alexander stated. “While it’s understandable [that] people instinctively want to repost a threat on social media to warn others, reposting can inadvertently spread misinformation and cause panic.”
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