SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane Police said detectives identified a juvenile male who attends the school that they believed to be responsible for the internet threats posted against Lewis and Clark High School and students.
On Thursday morning, Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl said detectives obtained a confession from the juvenile regarding his involvement.
"The juvenile indicated he did not mean to follow through with the threats. A further investigation revealed he did not have the capacity to follow through on the threats," Meidl said.
The student has been contacted, though not yet arrested and charges will be forwarded to the Prosecutor's Office, SPD said. Meidl said he was taken to an area hospital to receive help.
"I would add that this is another indication of what we are seeing nationwide: Juveniles using social behavior to engage in impulsive and overly-destructive behavior that is creating a ripple effect for the entire community," Meidl said.
Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl released a statement Wednesday evening regarding the threats.
“I would like to commend our detectives who worked tirelessly over the last two days to determine the source of the Lewis and Clark threat. Working with the juvenile’s family, our detectives are ensuring he gets the help he needs. As always, we encourage students or families to immediately notify law enforcement if they become aware of possible threats to the safety of our students or schools," he said in the release.
Spokane Public Schools officials confirmed 982 students of the enrolled 1,723 did not attend class on Wednesday.
School officials had increased security after announcing Tuesday night at 10 p.m. that law enforcement did not believe any of the threats were credible.
SPS had SPD personnel patrolling and increased presence of Campus Resource Officers on Wednesday.
"Based on the results of this investigation we believe that there is no longer a threat to Lewis and Clark High School or the community from this incident," SPD officials wrote in a release.