Threat closes Lind-Ritzville schools
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 10 months AGO
An explosives detection team from the Hanford Patrol searched Lind-Ritzville High School Tuesday after district officials were notified of a threat and canceled school for the day.
ACSO PHOTO
A K-9 from the Hanford Patrol explosives detection team searches the Lind-Ritzville High School library.
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | October 23, 2024 3:30 AM
RITZVILLE — A 14-year-old boy was arrested Tuesday and Lind-Ritzville Cooperative Schools were closed for the day after a threat was made against Lind-Ritzville High School.
The boy was booked on suspicion of making threats to bomb, according to a press release from the Ritzville Police Department. Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner wrote in a media release that the boy was booked into Martin Hall Juvenile Detention Center. A residence in Ritzville was searched by the RPD as part of the investigation.
In a media release issued late Tuesday morning, LRCS Superintendent Don Vanderholm wrote the threat was made on the social media site Snapchat and that district officials learned of it Monday night.
"These threats included names, methods and times,” Vanderholm wrote.
According to the RPD press release, the juvenile had identified specific individuals.
“The juvenile had used a teacher’s name and the name of another student to make the threats. Through the investigation, we found a list of what appeared to be named targets of the juvenile suspect. Parents were notified if their child was one of the named persons on the list. The next step in this case is a risk assessment, which will be conducted in collaboration with the Lind-Ritzville School District,” the RPD release said.
“At this stage of the investigation there is no evidence suggesting the involvement of other individuals,” Wagner wrote. “It appears the arrested juvenile acted alone.”
Vanderholm wrote that in light of the threats, all schools were closed to ensure student safety and that law enforcement agencies conducted searches of the high school.
“The sheriff’s office requested assistance from Hanford patrol K-9. A specialized explosives detection team conducted a thorough search of Lind-Ritzville High School and confirmed the facility is free of any explosives,” Wagner wrote.
“The school will come up with safety plans for affected students,” the RPD release said.
The RPD expressed its appreciation to the ACSO, the school district, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hanford Patrol and school district residents for their help and cooperation.
A K-9 from the Hanford Patrol explosives detection team searches the Lind-Ritzville High School library.
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