LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. — Lake Oswego Police Department (LOPD) began investigating a possible threat at Lake Oswego High School at around 10:45 a.m. on Thursday. At around 3 p.m. it announced that students would be released from the high school as police continued to investigate.
LOPD said that it was "erring on the side of caution" while officers track down more information.
Both Lake Oswego High School and Lake Oswego Junior High were impacted by the possible threat. Around 1:40 p.m., LOPD said the junior high had resumed normal activity while the high school was being searched.
The schools were placed on "secure" while officers searched the campuses. Under secure, all students and staff have to remain inside the building, and building entrances are locked, according to the district. No one is allowed in or out of the building and parents and guardians were asked not to go to the schools.
A mother who has children at both the high school and the middle school said she received texts from the district about the secure notice. An additional message she received said:
Suspicious activity was reported at LOH. No harm has happened. LOSD, LOPD taking every precaution to verify situation.
Parents were also told through email that additional law enforcement agencies were called in to expedite the process and they worked to secure the schools.
A spokesperson with the district said it could not connect the possible threat to posts being shared on TikTok, threatening violence at every school in the country on Friday, Dec. 17.
Some other districts in the area have sent emails out to parents regarding the TikTok challenge. The Reynolds School District sent this message out:
We are aware of a widespread social media post which challenges viewers to make threats of gun or bomb violence toward schools throughout the country for Friday, Dec. 17th. We have alerted local law enforcement and will continue to closely monitor. If you know of any specific threats or witness any suspicious activity, contact law enforcement or school administration immediately. When you see a threat, please REPORT IT immediately - DO NOT REPOST IT. Safety is our highest priority, and any student or adult threatening school violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.
In what appears to be an unrelated incident, the Gresham-Barlow School District was made aware of a threat against a school with the moniker "GHS." The threat was not specifically against Gresham High School.
The social media post was forwarded to the Gresham Police Department, who is investigated the threat and found that it was not credible. In an email to parents, the district said, in part:
This situation reminds all of us that there are many individuals who use social media inappropriately. Fake threats posted on social media cause panic and concern. When others repost this information, it adds to the worry and panic.
We need your help. Parents play a critical role by monitoring their student’s smartphone and social media use. In today’s world, parents must shoulder this responsibility with us. Many parents contacted us directly which enabled us to begin investigating promptly. This was extremely helpful, thank you.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
