Threat Shuts Down 6 Southwest Washington Schools

Threat Shuts Down 6 Southwest Washington Schools

(AP) Threat shuts down 6 southwest Washington schools
BATTLE GROUND, Wash.
A school district in the suburban Portland, Ore.-Vancouver metro area closed five of its schools Wednesday because of threats against students and staff at one of them.

A private school in the city of Battle Ground followed suit, bringing the number of students affected to nearly 4,300.

Multiple written threats were made Tuesday against Chief Umtuch Middle School in the Battle Ground School District, spokesman Gregg Herrington said.

That school is closed, along with Captain Strong Primary, Summit View Middle School, CAM Academy and Battle Ground High School, which are in the same neighborhood. The nearby private Firm Foundation Christian School also announced it is closed Wednesday following the Battle Ground School District threat.

Police declined to elaborate on the threats so as not to jeopardize the investigation, the district said. Police Chief Bob Richardson said in an email Wednesday he was very busy and could provide no details yet.

The district hopes to be able to reopen the five schools Thursday, Herrington said.

Firm Foundation also hopes to reopen Thursday, spokeswoman Andrea Sievers said. There was no direct threat to the private school and it closed as a safety precaution, she said.

The closure affects more than 3,800 of the Battle Ground district’s nearly 13,000 students. The district has a total of 18 school buildings. Firm Foundation has more than 400 students in two buildings, in preschool through high school grades.

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