Tacoma police reopen Sheridan neighborhood after investigation into explosive device

The Tacoma Police Department is allowing residents to return to their homes in the area around Sheridan Elementary School after an investigation into a possible explosive device.

Police asked residents around 50th Street and McKinley Avenue in Tacoma to stay inside their homes Wednesday afternoon. They closed off six blocks around that area, which included Sheridan Elementary School, as police worked with ATF to investigate a possible explosive device.

“We’ve asked all residents in the area, anywhere within 46th (Street) to 56th (Street) from McKinley East, to please stay inside their houses unless they are asked to evacuate,” said Officer Loretta Cool with the Tacoma Police Department earlier Wednesday.

Tacoma police have not said what the object was that caused so much concern, and have only referred to it as a “possible explosive device.”

The Tacoma School District posted on its Facebook page that it was instructed by police to evacuate Sheridan Elementary School. Students were bused to Boze Elementary School where they were reunited with their parents.

Nearby Blix Elementary School was in a “modified lockdown,” over the afternoon due to the activity in the area.

The Tacoma Police Department has instructed us to evacuate Sheridan Elementary School due to a dangerous situation in the Sheridan neighborhood that could impact the school. We will transport all students to Boze Elementary immediately. Boze is located at 1140 East 65th Street. Once we get students to Boze, we will implement our parent-student reunification process….Students who attend Lister, First Creek, Stewart and Lincoln who live in the Sheridan neighborhood will stay at their school until the neighborhood is cleared by police for entry.

Tacoma Police is assisting ATF with a possible explosive device. Residents near 50th and McKinley are being asked to stay inside.

— Tacoma PD (@pio1tpd) December 9, 2015