8:31 AM: Thanks for the texts. We’re on our way to check on a report of police at/near Chief Sealth International High School and a shelter-in-place situation. SPD has tweeted that it is an “apparent false report of weapons.” More to come.
8:41 AM: Our crew is at the school (photo added above) and have talked to police who confirm so far they haven’t found anyone or anything. This is close to the start of classes and aside from the police presence, activity appears normal – people coming and going, students being dropped off.
8:46 AM: Shelter-in-place has been lifted and police are leaving, our crew reports. Police say that the unfounded report was made by telephone.
ADDED 1:40 PM: Here’s the letter sent to Sealth and Denny families, in English and Spanish, signed by Sealth principal Aida Fraser-Hammer and Denny principal Jeff Clark:
Dear Denny and Sealth Scholars and Families:
We want to update you and share information regarding a situation that occurred early this morning.
At approximately 8:15am, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) received a 911 phone call reporting that there were shots fired at the Denny/Sealth campus. SPD responded immediately and contacted our schools. Although both schools reported that there was no unusual activity, in an abundance of caution both Denny and Sealth went into a brief shelter in place while the police investigated the situation. At this time, SPD believes this was a fictitious or “prank” call and they are continuing their investigation to determine the source of the call.
We are very proud of how our staff and scholars responded to the situation. Prank calls can sometimes increase scholars’ level of concern about their safety – staff are available to provide support as needed.
As always, maintaining the safety of the students and staff on our campus is our top priority. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. Thanks for your ongoing support.
En Español:
Estimadas Familias y Alumnos de Denny y Sealth,
Queremos actualizarle y compartir información sobre una situación que ocurrió temprano esta mañana.
Aproximadamente a las 8:15 am, el Departamento de Policía de Seattle (SPD) recibió una llamada telefónica al 911 informando que hubo disparos en el campus de Denny / Sealth. SPD respondió de inmediato y se puso en contacto con nuestras escuelas. Aunque ambas escuelas informaron que no había ninguna actividad inusual, como una medida de precaución, Denny y Sealth entraron en un breve estado de refugio mientras la policía investigaba la situación. En este momento, SPD cree que esto era una llamada ficticia o una “broma” y continúan su investigación para determinar la fuente de la llamada.
Estamos muy orgullosos de cómo nuestro personal y estudiantes respondieron a la situación. Las llamadas de broma a veces pueden aumentar el nivel de preocupación de los estudiantes en cuanto a su seguridad – el personal está disponible para brindar apoyo cuando es necesario.
Como siempre, mantener la seguridad de los estudiantes y el personal en nuestro campus es nuestra máxima prioridad. Por favor, no dude en ponerse en contacto con nosotros con cualquier pregunta o preocupación. Gracias por su apoyo continuo.
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