SPOKANE, Wash. — Most students at West Halley High School were absent on Friday as Spokane County sheriff’s deputies investigate a shooting threat directed at the school.
West Valley School District spokesperson Sue Shields said the school let families know they could excuse students by calling the attendance office. She is reporting a large number of absences on Friday but does not yet have specific numbers.
On Thursday, a student reported a threat reading, “I will shoot up West Valley on Friday,” written on a bathroom wall, Shields said. Deputies with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and district security personnel immediately began to investigate the threat.
Shields said there is extra security presence at the school on Friday, including three deputies along with the school’s regular school resource officer.
Shields said the situation is still unresolved on Friday morning and law enforcement personnel continue to interview students. She said safety is a top priority and the school district takes all threats seriously.
This threat comes after a search warrant filed in Spokane County Superior Court showed the content of social media threats made against West Valley High School in early December.
According to the warrant, a Snapchat account messaged a 15-year-old WVHS student a little before 7 a.m. on Dec. 4, 2018.
The warrant did not identify a suspected individual behind the account.
The receiving user did not screenshot the first message but told police it said, "Watch out West Valley High School something bad might happen today," followed by gun and bomb emojis, according to the warrant.
The next message, which was saved via screenshot, said, "Like I said buddy be careful," followed by winky-face and gun emojis. The third message, which was also saved, read, "It may not be today but it will be tomorrow," followed by a skull-and-crossbones emoji, according to the warrant.