Police investigating second middle school bomb hoax

Message written on bathroom railing

With Snoqualmie Middle School locked down for its second bomb threat of the year, Washington State Trooper Ron Ayers let his partner Jack take the lead.

The two-year-old Labrador Retreiver put his nose to the ground, then rose on his hind legs to check out a garbage can.

When Ayers took a break, Jack barked excitedly — he wanted back in action.

“He definitely likes to work,” Ayers said. “He’s very, very thorough.”

Ayers and Jack were among two K9 bomb-sniffing teams that responded to Snoqualmie Middle School last Wednesday, Nov. 18, after a threat was scrawled in the school bathroom.

No bomb was found, but classes were interrupted due to the threat. Students and staff were evacuated, walking to Mount Si High School. Parents arrived there to take them home.

Following the bomb dog visit, the building was cleared and students and staff were allowed to go back that afternoon.

School resumed as usual the following day.

Snoqualmie police received some tips, but as of last week, no one had been caught in connection with the threat.

Police are also still investigating the first bomb threat hoax at the middle school, which happened Wednesday, Oct. 21.

Some parents who arrived at Mount Si High School Wednesday made the best of their day. Others wondered how to put a stop to the disruptions.

“I’m getting tired of it,” said Snoqualmie parent Kelly Friday. “Is there a way to tell if it’s for real, or not for real? Pretty soon, it’s going to be, ‘There’s a bomb threat, oh well.’

“There has to be a better plan,” Friday said.

With the day off, parent Ken Treglown came straight to the high school to pick up sons Scott, in sixth grade, and Gavin, in eighth, still in his gym clothes.

“It’s kind of a nice day,” Treglown said. “We’re going to go for a bike ride.”

Sixth grade student Bailey Root said she doesn’t think bomb threats are much fun, though “some kids do, because there’s no homework.”

“It’s cold, and we had to walk all the way from the middle school,” Root said. “I had to share a coat with my friend.”

“I hope that it doesn’t happen again, and that our school doesn’t blow up,” she added.

On the district Web site, school officials commented that safety comes first during a bomb threat.

“While such a hoax is indeed frustrating, please know that our schools will always respond to situations with student safety as our top priority,” the district stated.

• If you have information that help police solve the bomb threats, call Snoqualmie Police at (425) 888-3333 or Snoqualmie Middle School Principal Vernie Newell at (425) 831-8450.