Seattle Public Schools, SPD say they’re ‘tracking’ nationwide threat concerns

| Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

We’re getting questions tonight about what’s described as a nationwide situation with social-media-driven concerns about school threats. So far the parents from whom we’ve heard say Seattle Public Schools hasn’t sent any direct communication to families. The district did publish this on Twitter earlier this evening:

We are aware of a national social media trend on TikTok challenging threats of school violence on Dec. 17. While there is no evidence of a specific threat at any of our schools, SPS Safety and Security is closely tracking these incidents in partnership with Seattle Police Dept.

— Seattle Public Schools (@SeaPubSchools) December 17, 2021

National coverage we’ve found (such as this story) underscores that the rumors have not been found to be credible. But some districts have decided to take precautionary action anyway, such as Tacoma, which plans to start the day in lockdown. Even before this – several days ago – SPS superintendent Dr. Brent Jones sent this video message about a recent increase in threats (thanks to the reader who shared the link).

Rhonda December 16, 2021 (9:05 pm)

Too many reactionary school districts have foolishly removed armed school resource officers and police from their campuses in the past year and a half.

Brian December 16, 2021 (10:28 pm)

Who could forget how useful it was to have an armed School Resource Officer during the Parkland massacre? Certainly not me.
- Adam December 17, 2021 (5:50 am)
  
  Who can remember that the resource officer would’ve been useful had he done his job? Certainly me. Not the greatest argument, sorry. It’s funny how we don’t want cops in schools but freak out when there aren’t cops responding quickly enough. You know what would help? Having one right there. I don’t like that there needs to be cops at schools but as long as there’s a need I won’t vilify someone simply because they chose a profession like law enforcement. Call me old school but I’ll actually wait until someone does something before I make judgements about them, not just toss em under the bus because they’re cops. Crazy we still have to discuss this
  - HappyCamper December 17, 2021 (9:07 am)
    
    I agree. All of this is disappointing, scary and shouldn’t be the world we live in but it is. Seems like a school would be the last place you’d need armed guards but children are unfortunately a common target due to the impact a school shooting has.One thing I find strange is that people are ok with armed guards at concerts, comedy shows, food festivals, marathons or whatever else but not schools. Seems odd to me considering how often school shootings occur and that many unstable people go for maximum terrible impact when going on a rampage, i.e. children.
    - AJP December 17, 2021 (10:56 am)
      
      I’m not okay with armed guards anywhere in a public place. An armed guard wouldn’t have done $#!+ to stop the Las Vegas concert shooter. An armed guard couldn’t have stopped Sandy Hook, though they may have reduced the fatalities. Armed guards are rarely able to STOP a shooter before they shoot, at best, they stop them from killing more people. I don’t want “reduced” fatalities. I want no fatalities. I don’t want people to have easy access to efficient killing machines capable of killing multiple people in just seconds.
  - Brian December 17, 2021 (9:13 am)
    
    The mental gymnastics here are truly astounding. I give a concrete example of a time when having a cop on a school campus did absolutely nothing to stop a tragedy and your response is “well if he would have done his job it would have been fine!”. You are truly not making sense here man.
Lagartija Nick December 17, 2021 (12:09 pm)

Rhonda, it’s “reactionary” to have armed guards/police at schools in the first place.
T December 17, 2021 (12:50 pm)

Armed officers is not a solution. Changing America’s gun-loving, violence accepting culture would be a better optioin.

eric December 16, 2021 (9:08 pm)

The current adminsitration should grow a pair, and turn off TIK Tok.

Sumguy December 16, 2021 (9:48 pm)

And turn off Facebook and Twitter and this comment thread?
- Adam December 17, 2021 (5:53 am)
  
  It’s amazing that you’d even have to explain that to this commenter, but dang. It’s 2021, we’re still talking about shutting down freedom of speech? Just shut down TikTok entirely? They don’t understand the ramifications of allowing the president to just decide what we consume? I’d hate what came of it whether it was Trump or Biden or any other person who decided what information I take in
momosmom December 17, 2021 (7:08 am)

I agree turn all that useless internet “look at me I have … followers…likes”!
- T December 17, 2021 (12:51 pm)
  
  parents are the ones that need to monitor what their kids/teens have access to…
  - momosmom December 17, 2021 (2:40 pm)
    
    @T and I agree with you on that issue too but it is sad to say a lot of parents don’t and this is why there is so many “wrongs” happening. Kids are young and impressionable and can get in trouble easily without knowing they are.Come on parents periodically take a look at their phones…it is not invading their privacy especially while they’re living under your roof.

bill December 16, 2021 (11:47 pm)

Threats against school kids have to be taken seriously. But my money is on this turning out to be another baseless rumor mill panic. It will probably be impossible to trace it back to key instigators.

Conspiracy December 17, 2021 (7:27 am)

It’s to bad they can’t track it back to the key instigators, because it sure feels like a politically motivated attack on civil society.

Eddie December 17, 2021 (5:15 am)

My 89 year old mother keeps saying “What is wrong with people?”

Sasquatch December 17, 2021 (7:37 am)

Sometimes it seems as if TikTok has a legitimate campaign to damage American education through these challenges and devious licks. Tik Tok has caused millions and millions of dollars in damages – plus missed school time because of threats

Mike December 17, 2021 (11:58 am)

It’s almost as if TikTok is tied to the CCP….oh…wait, is that why our military isn’t allowed to have TikTok on their phones???

MillenialFalcon December 17, 2021 (8:13 am)

Parents, now is the time to uninstall tiktok off your and your children’s phones.

Kim Kott December 17, 2021 (8:21 am)

Principal Vance at WSHS sent a message half an hour ago that there was a threatening social media post last night targeting the school. SPD found it not to be credible but I hope to see them at the school this morning

Ws resident December 17, 2021 (8:56 am)

My high school kids are staying home today. Not chancing it and praying that it is all just a hoax nationwide. It’s such a sad world we live in.

Jim December 17, 2021 (10:39 am)

It’s just all a hoax! Some idiots who thinks it’s funny and are enjoying the power that they are feeling from getting a couple of schools from shutting down for the day to a few schools for having an all day lockdown and enjoys the feeling of being able to make people live in fear of sending their children to school and people who work at schools. The tiktoc person who created the threat might be living in a foreign country and is just getting their jollies from doing this. But I do agree with you it’s best to be safe then sorry and best to keep your love ones home today.

WET December 17, 2021 (10:40 am)

It would be fantastic if access to guns was as hard as say access to abortion, getting a drivers license etc. You have all heard it before….. access to guns is the real issue

zark00 December 17, 2021 (11:06 am)

@WET 100%, spot on, could not agree more. Not sure what is broken in the gun fetishists of America, but that broken piece they keep trying to fix with more and more firepower puts us all in danger. Handguns and AR15s are purpose built tools – their purpose is to kill human beings as efficiently as possible. People who own these weapons have already contemplated killing another human being, and they are ok with it. Being ok with taking a human life is sociopathic. When you get on the inside it’s decidedly sicker. The glee the pro-2nd crowd displays at the mere thought of killing a human being while being the “good guy with a gun” is truly disturbing. These gun fetishists can’t wait until a situation presents itself where they can justifiably murder someone. It’s really twisted, it’s really scary, and many of them literally meet the criteria for terrorism the way they use their guns, and talk about what they will do with them, to intimidate and threaten people. See it online daily; in person it’s even worse.
- Lagartija Nick December 17, 2021 (12:06 pm)
  
  Exactly this Zark. It’s pathological. Case in point, the guy in Puyallup last week who shot at the two burglars, killing one. He was practically beaming with pride over the dead body in his yard but at least his tv was safe. The media and society hold him up as some kind of hero but he made it quite clear he’d been itching to ‘legally’ kill someone for a while now. It’s disgusting and the masses cheer.
  - No Regrets December 17, 2021 (3:14 pm)
    
    Are you referring to the case where two armed men broke into an occupied home and assaulted (pistol-whipped) a man before one of them was shot dead while loading their vehicle with stolen property? I see nothing wrong with the homeowner defending himself and his girlfriend in that situation. It’s sad you think this mans life is worth less than his “TV”.Or are you talking about the case where three armed men broke in to a 62 year old ex-cops house and threatened him with a crowbar before one of them was shot dead? Again, no tears from me.I see nothing wrong with these lives being ended. Their lives were already over long before they decided to take the actions that led to their deaths. The only tragedy is that we let people get to this point. But there’s noting wrong with self defense.
  - uncle loco December 17, 2021 (4:01 pm)
    
    Do you mean that guy who protected his family after the burglars busted into his house? That guy?
- tom December 17, 2021 (2:01 pm)
  
  social media causes much more damage day to day than guns ever will.
Rhonda December 17, 2021 (3:19 pm)

False. It’s far easier to get an abortion or a driver’s license. 16 year-olds can get an abortion without parental consent and legally own and drive a car, yet they can’t buy a gun.

Pessoa December 17, 2021 (7:25 pm)

A lot bravado here from anti-gun activists who are itching to restrict the rights of others to protect themselves and probably have never been in a situation where their life is in immediate danger and law enforcement is an hour away. You don’t know the meaning of being naked and vulnerable until you have been in this situation and are at the complete mercy of someone who doesn’t give a damn about your life, or the lives of loved ones. Try living in the real world for a change, not your fantasy world where there are knights in shining armor rushing to your rescue in the nick of time.

Sorry, comment time is over.