Man threatens to shoot kids at 5 Edmonds day cares, police investigating

A man called Edmonds day cares with graphic threats on Monday, and Edmonds police are trying to find him.

The man threatened violence, saying children would be shot. But the threats were so graphic in nature, investigators wouldn’t give additional specifics.

Up to five day cares in Edmonds received threatening calls Monday, and they were put on lockdown while multiple agencies responded.

As of Monday night, none of the threats were carried out. While Edmonds police said they did not want to scare anyone, they believe the threat still exists and that parents need to be particularly cautious.

Investigators said the suspect could be anywhere in the world, but appears to have ties to Edmonds. They are actively still trying to find out who this man is – and Edmonds police said they’d never dealt with an incident like this before.

Sgt. Josh McClure with the Edmonds Police Department tells KIRO Radio that it is possible that whoever made the calls was monitoring police communications while officers responded. For example, listening to an online police scanner.

The Edmonds Police Department released this statement following news of the threats:

Edmonds Police appreciate the public’s concern for the safety and well-being of all children, not only in Edmonds, but in our surrounding communities.  Threats against any member of the community are unacceptable, but threats made against innocent children are indefensible.  At this time, our detectives are focusing on information that leads them to believe the origination of the threatening calls came from outside the State of Washington.  We do not believe that there is an immediate threat to our community.  The Edmonds Police Department will continue to work this investigation and use the resources of our local, State, and Federal law enforcement partners, as appropriate.  Our patrol officers will continue to provide a visible presence in your neighborhoods and exceptional response to calls for service.  More details on this investigation will be released as appropriate.

We would also like to thank the Lynnwood Police Department, Mountlake Terrace Police Department and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office for the assistance in the initial response to yesterday’s events.  Officers and Deputies responded to five separate locations across Edmonds in a matter of minutes.  It was another great example of cooperation between Snohomish County Law Enforcement.

MyNorthwest contributed to this article.