Shadle Park High School under brief lockdown following student’s threats

A Shadle Park High School student was arrested inside a classroom Wednesday after he threatened to shoot up the school, Spokane police said.

Police were dispatched to the building at about 10 a.m. in response to a 911 call, said John O’Brien, spokesman for the Spokane Police Department.

The caller, who was not a student and learned about the incident through social media, reported that a male student said in a classroom he had a gun in his backpack and threatened to shoot up the school, according to police.

O’Brien said arriving officers isolated the classroom and detained the juvenile, who did not have a gun, without incident. He was then arrested and booked in the Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center under suspicion of felony harassment.

Shortly after the incident, an email notification was sent to parents – many of whom complained on social media that the district was slow in letting them know what had happened.

Principal Julie S. Lee said in the statement that the student was a sophomore. Following his arrest, police and campus resource officers remained on campus, and counselors were made available.

Spokane Public Schools spokesman Brian Coddington said the school was placed under full lockdown for about 30 to 45 minutes. It then resumed normal operations.