Intruder forces lockdown at Seattle's Broadview Thomson K-8 School
SEATTLE - Seattle Public Schools says they believe a propped-open service door at Broadview Thomson K-8 is how a man got inside the school building on Wednesday, forcing a lockdown.
It happened around 8:20 in the morning.
“Our kids had an online class today and suddenly it was stopped and then later the teacher texted us that there was a lockdown,” said Jeremy Hubble, the parent of a student at the school.
The intruder was discovered inside the school after he startled a teacher as she was instructing students online.
“It’s understandable there is concern about this,” said Tim Robinson who is a spokesperson for Seattle Public Schools. “We are obviously concerned about how somebody could get into one of our buildings.”
The district says the man was also captured on surveillance video on the second floor of the school with a custodian’s backpack
“The lockdown went into place, police got here and a sweep of the building was done,” said Robinson.
About 15 teachers and staff were in the building along with 14 children at the daycare inside the school.
The man was never found and the lockdown was lifted about 20 minutes later.
“It seems to be emblematic of problems that nothing is being done about,” said Hubble.
Just a couple of weeks ago Broadview Thomson had to shelter in place after a man living at the homeless encampment behind the school on district property had a pellet gun.
Wednesday is a remote learning day at the school so no students were there when the lockdown went into place.
“It would definitely make me uneasy if my son were here in person,” said Christina Williams, parent of a student at the school.
The custodian's backpack was recovered but it’s not clear where it was found.
Seattle Police has not been able to connect the man to the encampment behind the school that has caused so many problems for the neighborhood and worry and concern for parents.
