No evidence of victims or shooter after reports of gunfire at Highline College
Feb 16, 2018, 9:09 AM | Updated: 12:02 pm
(KIRO 7 image via Twitter)
Reports of gunfire at Highline College on Friday morning prompted a nearly 3-hour lockdown and evacuations. Law enforcement swept the campus and determined no evidence of a shooter or victims.
“Currently, they have swept a large portion of the campus and have not found any indication that there was either a shooter or victims,” Kyle Ohashi, spokesperson with the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority, told KIRO Radio. He said two people were treated for issues probably related to anxiety, which is not unusual in a situation like this.
“Because of what happened recently, that obviously raises everybody’s anxiety levels beyond what they normally would be because we’ve seen the horrific results of these shootings,” Ohashi said.
Highline, located at 2400 S. 240th Street in Des Moines, posted this message on its Facebook page at 8:57 a.m.:
“We have reports of gunfire on campus. Please lock down all offices and classrooms until further notice.”
“This is not a drill,” the school later reported at 9:27 a.m. “Police are responding and evacuating buildings. Remain in lockdown position. We will update you as further details become available. This is an unfolding situation.”
Renton police says families looking for information were directed to Lowes’ northwest corner parking lot on Pacific Highway South.
Southbound I-5 was briefly closed in Des Moines between WA-516 and S. 260th St. for the investigation. All lanes reopened just before 10 a.m.