The Renton School District shut down three campuses Friday, Dec. 15, after a prank phone call alleging a firearms threat and online threats targeted two schools the day prior.<\/p>\n
The district closed Nelsen Middle School, Renton High School and Renton Academy campuses Friday after police received a prank phone call regarding a firearms threat at Nelsen Middle School early Thursday, Dec. 14, and additional online threats against Nelsen and Renton High School on Thursday evening.<\/p>\n
Renton police arrested a 14-year-old Renton boy, whom investigators believe serves as the primary suspect in the threats.<\/p>\n
According to the Renton Police Department, Valley SWAT served a warrant and arrested the teenager the morning of Dec. 15 after Renton investigators located and identified the suspect. The 14-year-old suspect is not a student in the Renton School District.<\/p>\n
Ongoing investigation into the threats include whether any additional suspects were involved, according to Meeghan Black, spokesperson for the police department.<\/p>\n
According to the department, the Thursday morning prank phone call at Nelsen Middle School resulted in a lockdown and “overwhelming” police response after the caller stated there was someone with a gun in the school.<\/p>\n
Police received the first call for the incident at approximately 11:03 a.m., according to the department. The department had previously stationed officers near the school all day as a result of rumors circulating regarding a threat.<\/p>\n
Officers entered the room the caller said the gunman was in and didn’t find any suspect nor weapon as additional callers stated they never saw a gun nor heard gunshots, according to the department. Officers cleared the school and determined the report to be a prank phone call.<\/p>\n
Thursday evening, Renton police discovered online threats against Nelsen Middle School and Renton High School.<\/p>\n
The online threats served as credible enough to cause alarm, Black stated in an email.<\/p>\n
“We notified the Renton School District and they decided to close those schools and Renton Academy due to its proximity to Nelsen,” Black stated.<\/p>\n
The Renton School District stated they closed the three campuses Friday “out of an abundance of caution” and to provide Renton police time to conduct an investigation.<\/p>\n
The Renton Police Department declined to disclose the language of the threats found online.<\/p>\n
“They indicated the suspect was going to cause harm at the school,” Black said.<\/p>\n
The district plans to return the three schools to regular hours on Monday morning, according to the district’s website.<\/p>\n
“We will send another communication to families no later than Sunday with an update about Monday’s schedule at the three affected schools,” the district’s website stated.<\/p>\n
Police have booked the 14-year-old boy into the King County Youth Detention Center.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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