Bigfork High School evacuated following bomb threat
TAYLOR INMAN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 4 months AGO
REPORTER AND PODCAST HOST Taylor Inman covers Bigfork and the north shore of Flathead Lake for the Bigfork Eagle and the Daily Inter Lake. Her reporting focuses on local government, community issues and the people who shape life in Northwest Montana. Inman began her journalism career at Murray State University’s public radio newsroom and later reported for WKMS, where her work aired on National Public Radio. In addition to reporting, she hosts and contributes to Daily Inter Lake podcasts including News Now. Her work connects listeners and readers with the stories shaping communities across the Flathead Valley. IMPACT: Taylor’s work expands local journalism through both traditional reporting and digital storytelling. | December 17, 2021 10:20 AM
Bigfork High School has been evacuated and cleared following a bomb threat at the school, the Flathead County Sheriff's Office has reported.
Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino said a message left in the bathroom at Bigfork High School indicating a bomb threat was found earlier Friday morning. The school was closed for the remainder of the day and students were sent home.
Heino said 12 sheriff's deputies responded to the scene, as they were up-staffed around schools after Glacier High School in Kalispell went into a soft lockdown yesterday from threats that later turned out to be unsubstantiated.
According to an email from Kalispell Public Schools Superintendent Micah Hill, officials at Glacier High School were made aware of a threat of school violence posted on the social media site TikTok that referenced "GHS." The post did not specifically mention Glacier High School or Kalispell. Upon further investigation, the district determined the threat was not credible.
Hill said the post could be traced to a nationwide TikTok challenge and that schools across the country with the abbreviation GHS were responding in a similar fashion, including Granger High School in Utah. The TikTok challenge encourages students to make false threats of violence as a way to get out of school.
Heino said the threat at Bigfork High School was internal and does not seem to be related to the TikTok trend. He said the threat is currently under investigation and no device was located.
Bigfork Superintendent Tom Stack sent out an advisory to parents immediately following the threat, noting students were being evacuated.
Stack said all activities for Bigfork High School have been canceled for the weekend.
This story will be updated as more information is available.
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