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Spokane police ask feds for help to crack social media threat case against Lewis and Clark High School

A man walks by Lewis and Clark High School on Nov. 4, 2018. Facing the possibility of staff cutbacks this fall, the Spokane Public Schools board of directors tried to reaffirm Wednesday night that next year’s budget will prioritize basic education. (Libby Kamrowski / The Spokesman-Review)
By Jim Allen jima@spokesman.com

While Spokane police continue to investigate a shooting threat made on social media against Lewis and Clark High School, staff and students are simply trying to cope.

“We are working to have the experiences here at school this week reflect as much normalcy as possible,” LC Principal Marybeth Smith said Wednesday, the third school day since an Instagram threat was sent to the school.

“It certainly can be unnerving to have to conduct business as usual during a time like this, and I think doing so can add an extra layer of fatigue onto kids and staff that we always want to attend to,” Smith said.

Attendance was at normal levels Wednesday – two days after the school reported 469 absences out of roughly 2,000 students.

Spokane police said federal officials have joined the effort to locate the source of the threat, posted Nov. 3, to “shoot up LC” with an apology to “those who will not be alive the next day.” In June, police arrested former LC student Ryan Lee for threats posted on a similarly named account. Lee was released from jail after posting a $100,000 bond and in August, a judge tightened Lee’s release conditions after he violated them by attending a church youth group.

“This matter is a top priority,” police spokesman John O’Brien said in a statement Wednesday. “Detectives, as well as technical support staff, have dedicated a significant number of hours to seeking and analyzing available evidence.”

For the third straight day, security was at above-normal levels. School resource officers monitored the campus and hallways while Smith and her staff greeted students at the doors.

Classroom doors are locked during instructional time and resource officers, and administrators are closely watching transition periods for any unusual behavior.

“I’m in observations a lot this week,” Smith said.

In a message posted Wednesday on Facebook, the district said, “We share the frustration of families who are seeking the most current information and will continue to provide daily updates to families and staff.”