Suspect arrested after Whatcom school district reports more threatening graffiti on campus
Blaine Police say they have arrested a 12-year-old suspect, after a second concerning graffiti incident in less that a week was found on a school campus, Tuesday Dec. 14.
The graffiti on Tuesday was found in a boys’ restroom on the middle school campus, according to a Blaine Police Department release Tuesday, and it was “similar” to an incident that prompted the school district to institute a lockout on Friday, Dec. 10.
The second incident referenced a school shooting that would occur on Wednesday, Dec. 15, the police reported
“Blaine Police were notified and conducted an investigation that led to the identification of a juvenile suspect,” police said. “The suspect was arrested without incident and booked into the Whatcom County Juvvenile Detention Center.”
The Blaine School District did not need to implement its Standard Response Protocols due to Tuesday’s incident, an earlier joint release from the Blaine School District and Blaine Police Department stated.
But the school district and police said it was important that they address the recent “sharp increase in the number of social media posts, texts and graffiti by students that are inappropriate and/or threaten the safety of our schools.”
Blaine is not alone in seeing incidents of this type, as multiple school districts in Whatcom County experienced threats or were forced into lockout/lockdown last week.
“In the vast majority of cases, these posts turn out to be non-credible threats where students did not intend harm or do not have access to weapons that could cause harm to a school,” the Blaine release read. “Students will often say the online post or threat was a joke. We want to emphasize to you that the safety of our children is not a joke.
“In every case, we have a duty to immediately respond and assume the threat could be credible until the investigation is complete. ... In addition, the broader impact on the entire school community cannot be overstated. This behavior always causes unnecessary worry and concern among all parents, students and staff.”
In an effort to reduce the chances of future threats having an impact on students, teachers, administrators, families and the rest of the community, the school district and police asked parents to:
▪ Talk to their children about the consequences of posting or sharing inappropriate content or threats of violence online, including the long-term consequences such actions could have on their future. “Everything they post or share can become public even if it’s only shared with one person,” the release stated.
▪ Monitor their child’s online and social media behavior.
▪ Remind children to alert school administrators if they see something that appears threatening. The Blaine School District’s online reporting tool is available at blainesd.org/page/harassment-intimidation-bullying, or tips can be texted to 844-201-8732.
▪ Reassure their students that many people are working “behind the scenes” to keep schools safe.
“We commit to you that every threat will be taken seriously. Blaine School District and Blaine Police Department work collaboratively to ensure threats are fully investigated and resolved,” the release stated. “There are consequences for students who are guilty of threatening our schools, students or staff, and we will work together to identify those responsible for these threats and apply significant disciplinary consequences, regardless of the intent.”
Recent threats in county
Throughout the past week, multiple school districts across Whatcom County have experienced threats and others have had several lockout/lockdown situations.
Bellingham Public Schools has been dealing with multiple forms of electronic harassment and threats over the past week, which include harassing Instagram accounts with anti-LGBTQIA+, racist and threatening messages, and electronic messages threatening violence on specific school campuses, The Bellingham Herald previously reported.
A 16-year-old male Sehome High School student was arrested Saturday, Dec. 10, according to a Bellingham Police Department release, during the investigation into threats made at school last week.
The unnamed student was booked into the Whatcom County Juvenile Detention Facility for threats to bomb or injure property. Investigators did not find a gun or bomb in his possession when he was arrested, according to police.
Threats led school administrators to secure the school twice last week and close the school on Thursday, Dec. 9.
An airdrop message was sent to students Monday, Dec. 6, alleging there was a bomb on campus. And another threat via airdrop was sent Wednesday, Dec. 8, police said. Those two threats followed a Dec. 3 airdrop threat reported by several Sehome High School students who got a message on their phones that mentioned someone had a gun, police said.
During that investigation, police learned that a student had a gun on campus, according to the release. A 16-year-old student was then arrested for having an airsoft Glock 17 replica on school grounds and charges were to be referred to the prosecutor’s office.
That student is not believed to have been involved in subsequent threatening messages, police said.
Several other schools in the district last week, including Shuksan Middle School and Bellingham High, also investigated threats — which were determined not to be credible.
In Ferndale, a student who reportedly brought a weapon to Ferndale High School, forcing the school into a three-hour-long lockdown on Wednesday, Dec. 1, turned himself in to law enforcement the following day, according to previous reporting in The Herald.
The weapon was seized and confirmed to be a BB gun. Charges in the case have also been referred to the county prosecutor’s office.
All those threats came after a pair of graffiti threats were found on the Mount Baker School High School campus in October.
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 3:48 PM.
