MTHS went into a modified lockdown yesterday morning following a social media threat that was perceived as a possible threat toward the school. For security measures, police and a greeter were onsite during the school day to ensure the front entrance of MTHS was the only access point to enter the building.
The social media post, which Interim Principal Greg Schellenberg presumed to be an Instagram post, contained a caption with emojis that led community members to view it as a potential threat. Around 6:30 a.m., Schellenberg was made aware of the post through two staff members who learned of it through students. The post has since then been taken down and the account it was made on has been suspended.
Schellenberg contacted the Mountlake Terrace Police Department (MLTPD) and Edmonds School District (ESD) office regarding the concern surrounding the post.
The MLTPD went into investigation to identify the post and student who made it.
Detectives and police located the student in their home and determined they intended no threat behind the post. The student is a withdrawn MTHS student who transferred out of the school and lives outside ESD boundaries with no intention to return to the school.
Most students were present at school for schedule changes. They, along with staff, were notified of the situation around 9 a.m. so students could choose if they wanted to exit the building. Schellenberg noted there weren’t any students “who felt like they needed to get off campus.”
“The key thing for me is communication, giving people confidence that they have choice over their safety and as fast as possible, coming to a resolution and then communicating again and making sure people feel safe,” Schellenberg said.
Should a similar situation happen, Schellenberg hopes to have a quick response and bring the events to a “nice resolution” as seen yesterday.
“Certainly now that it is done, one of my first questions is what would we do differently if this was a school day in October rather than September 1st, a quieter day?” Schellenberg said. “Edmonds School District is one of the leaders in this type of response.”
