Rumors of threatened school shooting affect high school

On Jan. 3, school administrators and local law enforcement officers immediately investigated a rumor, which proved to be unfounded, regarding a student bringing a weapon to school.

Rumors of a potential shooting at Lind-Ritzville High School began spreading through text messaging and social media sites, causing school administrators to call in law enforcement to investigate the threat. Based upon the immediate results of the investigation, it is believed the perceived threat is not valid.

“We can’t determine there was actually a threat made toward the school or to any kids,” Ritzville Police Chief Dave McCormick said.

“There’s nothing credible,” he added.

Superintendent Robert Roettger said the rumors came to the attention of school staff at the basketball game Wednesday night, the day students returned to classes after the Christmas vacation. An estimated seven to 10 families took their children out of class throughout the day, Thursday, or did not have them attend school because of the alleged threat.

“In light of the recent tragedies, we do take these things seriously and look into any allegations made,” Roettger explained.

Roettger immediately contacted law enforcement officials to assist with investigating the alleged rumors of an attack. Students who were believed to have contributed to the conversation, either through text messaging or Facebook, were questioned first regarding the issue.

“If we believed this was a legitimate threat, the school would have been closed and the students sent home,” Roettger said.

If the threat had been confirmed, students would not have attended school that day. In the instance that a student does bring a weapon into the school, the school would immediately begin the lock-down procedure to help protect the safety of the students.

In a letter sent to parents on Jan. 3 concerning the rumor, Roettger assured parents that the school has practiced procedures. The students are all aware of the evacuation and lock down procedures, which help ensure the safety of the students.

“It saddens me that we have to think about and prepare for the possibility of violence in our schools. School is, and should be, a great place for students to learn and grow without the fear of danger,” Roettger wrote. “Having said this, I want to assure you that if there ever was a situation where we felt that our students or staff were in danger we would implement our evacuation process and parents would be notified immediately.”

Police officers interviewed a group of students regarding the alleged assault, but were unable to find any concrete evidence. It is believed the basis of the rumor was something different that eventually grew into the threat of a school shooting.

At this time, it is unknown where the threat originated. Social media sites, such as Facebook, and text messaging have allowed the rumor to spread quickly and make it difficult for school administrators to determine the origin of the threat.

In the instance students have to evacuate or go into lock-down, parents will be contacted through the same phone system that is used to contact families about school closures or other important school district changes.

Parents and families with concerns about the safety procedures at the schools are asked to contact Brian Ellis at 677-3408, Cheryl Henjum at 659-1720 or Roettger at 650-7271.