Court papers: Teacher says he was going to 'murder everyone's children'
by KOMO Staff
Tuesday, January 23rd 2018
A threat from an employee prompted a modified lockdown Monday, Jan. 22, 2018, at Presidents Elementary School in Arlington and at the offices of the Arlington School District. (Photo: KOMO News)
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EVERETT, Wash. -- A teacher at an elementary school in Arlington told another teacher that he was "going to murder everyone's children in the building and make them watch," court documents say.
The statement prompted a modified lockdown Monday at Presidents Elementary School and a nearby Arlington School District office.
The teacher was arrested in Bellingham and jailed for investigation of felony harassment. The 52-year-old teacher appeared before a judge Tuesday and was ordered held on $10,000 bail.
Court documents say a school district employee called an Arlington police officer about threats he had first heard about on Friday.
The police officer said he talked on Monday to a teacher who said he saw the teacher who was later arrested on Thursday and asked him how he was.
The teacher said he was not all right. Then, court papers say, he told the other teacher, "I am going to murder everyone in the building. Scratch that, I am going to murder everyone's children in the building and make them watch."
The teacher who heard this backed away as the other teacher continued to shout. The teacher said he feared for his life and the lives of the staff and children, court documents say.
The teacher who was later arrested had already been placed on administrative leave involving inappropriate comments to school staff, court documents say. The teacher left before his comments were repeated. So the comments were not reported to 911. A school district employee said he did report it to a non-emergency dispatch number but couldn't reach the officer who later investigated the comments.