Arrest made in threat that closed 2 Puyallup schools

PUYALLUP, Wash. -- A 16-year-old girl has been arrested in connection with an online threat that closed Emerald Ridge High School and Glacier View Junior High in Puyallup on Tuesday.

Police say the Emerald Ridge student acted alone and speculated that she didn't like going to school. She had been attending the school for only two or three days.

The threat on the European social networking site ASKfm shows the poster was tired of being called a "white cracker" and threatened to blow up Emerald Ridge and its "racist kids and dumb, rude teachers."

Interpol in Dublin, Ireland was alerted to the post and immediately notified Interpol in Washington, D.C. Washington DC authorities notified the Puyallup Police Department of the threat at 4 a.m..

Police with the help of the FBI served a search warrant at 9:30 a.m. at a Puyallup apartment and seized evidence.

Police had enough to arrest their suspect around 3 p.m. The girl was booked into Remann Juvenile Hall for investigation of felony harassment and threats to bomb/injure, police said. No other suspects are being sought.

Classes at both schools are resuming Wednesday, as police said there were no further safety concerns.

Both Emerald Ridge High School and Glacier View Junior High were closed after the online threat was discovered, triggering an investigation by local law enforcement and the FBI, officials said. Pierce County sheriff's investigators say the Puyallup threat was made specifically to Emerald Ridge High School, but Glacier View Junior High was closed as well because of its close proximity to the high school.

'Creepy Clown' threats also cause school disruptions Tuesday

Meanwhile, a number of other schools in the South Sound faced threats and disruption Tuesday in connection with the unrelated creepy clown mania sweeping the nation.

Officials said Rogers High School, also in the Puyallup district, was briefly placed on modified lockdown later Tuesday after two suspects with clown masks and possibly a knife were spotted in the woods near the school. Deputies later found two discarded masks in the area.

Meanwhile a spokesperson for the Federal Way School District said Thomas Jefferson High School became aware Monday of "rumors circulating on social media of clowns making threats."

Social media accounts of "creepy clowns" making threats on schools have been spreading fear on social media for several weeks in other parts of the country.

Spokeswoman Kassie Swenson said Federal Way school security officials and local law enforcement are thoroughly investigating the threats.

"We are working in tight partnership with local law enforcement to formulate a strategy to respond to these threats," she said.

At least one of the threats targeted specific Thomas Jefferson High School students by name, along with a general threat of violence against the campus.

And in Covington, a Tahoma High School student is facing disciplinary action after he arrived at school Tuesday wearing a clown mask.

The student was arrested at gunpoint by the school resource officer. A search found that the student was not armed.

"Having fun is fine, but this time people are genuinely concerned about creepy clowns and no one is taking this lightly - at least at school," said Tahoma School District spokesman Kevin Patterson. "We ask students to please refrain from wearing clown masks or costumes at this time."

He said the student who wore the mask is not facing criminal charges, but he will be facing school disciplinary action.

"This was disruptive and just not a wise thing to do," Patterson said.