The Chehalis School District initiated a lockdown at W.F. West High School at about 2 p.m. Monday after an anonymous caller reported a possible active shooter nearby.
Police later determined the call was a hoax.
At about 2:45 p.m., law enforcement personnel — including officers and deputies from the Chehalis Police Department and the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office — remained at both entrances to the W.F. West High School parking lot, as school buses lined the street.
While at the scene, Chehalis Police Chief Randy Kaut told The Chronicle there was no evidence to support the claim of a suspicious person.
Kaut indicated further discussion with the caller had led police to suspect the report was likely a prank.
In its statement later that afternoon, the police department noted additional support from the Centralia Police Department, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington state Department of Corrections, Homeland Security, Medix and the Chehalis Fire Department.
“As law enforcement officers conducted a systematic search of the school for a potential active threat, the campus was placed into lockdown,” the statement read. “No active threat was located, and investigators determined the call to be a hoax.”
The department thanked the W.F. West administration, staff, students and parents for their cooperation, patience and resilience during the incident.
“The Chehalis Police Department remains committed to identifying the individual responsible for this false report and holding them accountable,” the statement read.
The case is under investigation.
Shortly after the initial lockdown, district officials placed Orin Smith Elementary School on a “modified” lockdown, meaning all doors were locked and access into or out of the building was prohibited.
"Lockdowns at all Chehalis Schools have now been lifted,” the district stated after the incident. “This lockdown stemmed from a call to the Chehalis Police Department reporting a suspicious person near W.F. West High School. Police locked down the entire neighborhood in the vicinity of our schools and we locked down our campuses. Students at W.F. West High School and Chehalis Middle School are now being routed home. Release at James Lintott Elementary and Orin Smith Elementary will proceed as normal."
An earlier statement warned people not to respond to the campus during the lockdown.
“School and law enforcement do not want to divert needed resources for crowd control as these resources are necessary to ensure the safety of our students and staff,” the statement read.
