Garfield High School evacuated last week after bomb threat demanding Bitcoin
Apr 9, 2026, 7:46 AM
Exterior of Garfield High School in Seattle's Central District neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
Garfield High School was evacuated last Friday afternoon due to an anonymous bomb threat demanding payment in Bitcoin.
The Central District school, which holds approximately 1,600 students, received an email at 2 p.m. Friday stating that there are bombs within the campus that would be detonated within two hours unless those threatening Garfield High received 1,600 in Bitcoin.
According to Seattle Police Department (SPD) Detective Eric Muñoz, the department was unsure if the threats requested $1,600 in Bitcoin or 1,600 Bitcoin, which would be worth more than $100 million.
“The school was searched by officers with school security assisting,” SPD stated. “Nothing suspicious was identified and the school returned to normal operations.”
No arrests have been made, as of this reporting. The extortion attempt remains under investigation.
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Not the first threat of bombs on campus for Bitcoin payments
Bitcoin extortion threats have been prevalent in recent months. Last October, both the FBI and Homeland Security were called to investigate after more than 40 school districts in Florida received nearly identical emails demanding Bitcoin with the threat that bombs were planted on campus, according to The Capitol Hill Blog.
Law enforcement determined these were part of a mass-hoax campaign.
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