Empty bomb threats made to several area schools

Four Whitman County school districts were put on lockdown after receiving empty bomb threats Wednesday morning.

A bomb threat was sent out to several schools in eastern Washington, including schools in Colfax, Endicott, St. John and Lamont. All schools were placed on lockdown as deputies from the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office responded to make sure there wasn’t an active threat. Officers determined the threats were invalid, and districts returned to normal operations.

Sheriff Brett Myers said 30 to 50 schools in eastern Washington received an email stating there were 10 bombs placed around the institutions. Some schools in the state closed for the day, but schools in Whitman County stayed open and were placed on lockdown.

“The threats were invalid, but at the same time, that doesn’t mean we don’t take those things seriously,” Myers said. “We try to determine if there is credibility to the threats and if they are actionable or serious.”

Myers said empty threats affect schools and first responders. He added schools aren’t able to carry out their day-to-day operations, and kids miss out on learning for the day. The invalid threats also take time away from first responders.

This isn’t the first time schools in Whitman County have received bomb threats. Myers said every district at one point or another has followed up on perceived threats. He added a few years ago Colfax received a bomb threat circulating on TikTok, but officers determined it wasn’t a credible threat.

Deputies responded to all schools in the county that were threatened, and did walk-throughs through the institutions. They stayed at the schools until the threats were cleared by federal intelligence teams.

“It’s hard when it’s an unspecified thing, you can’t tear the building apart looking for something that may or may not be there,” said Myers. “It’s more a matter of showing up and adding additional security. And, making school districts feel a little more safe.”

Myers said the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office isn’t actively investigating the threat because it’s too broad. He added the threat could have come from anyone in the state, country or even out of the country. But the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is looking into the incident.

The Spokane office has put together a regional intelligence group, which partners with federal agencies for officers, said Myers. He added the agencies look at similar types of threats to determine if they are related. The group has begun trying to track where the threat came from. If they find the source, the crime will be looked at a federal level or be referred back to Washington state.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com