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Ellensburg High School (EHS) Principal Beau Snow made an announcement to students and parents via email that a lockdown was in progress on May 10 at 1:03 p.m. This was announced after KitCom, a civilian-staffed 911 center, sent a report of an imminent threat at 12:28 p.m. <\/span><\/p>\n The Ellensburg Police Department (EPD) sent out an announcement on their facebook at 1:08 p.m. stating that as a precaution there would be a continued police presence at EHS for the remainder of the school day. According to the post, EPD is still investigating the threat. <\/span><\/p>\n According to EHS junior Serena Scheffer-Arango, who was present during the lockdown, an announcement came over the school intercom around 12:30 p.m. on active lockdown, stating that it was “not a drill” and instructing students. to hide in the classrooms.<\/span><\/p>\n “I heard screaming from the cafeteria… and a bunch of people came running down the hall and into our room, and then one of our club managers kept the door closed because our door didn’t have a lock “, Scheffer-Arango. said<\/span><\/p>\n Scheffer-Arango said students hid in scrolls on the walls.<\/span><\/p>\n “I texted my mom to let her know what was going on, and the parents didn’t get a text until the lockdown ended that everything was fine, but I was with my friend under the desk, we were holding hands,” Scheffer. – said Arango. “I heard other people in the room, there were people crying because none of us knew what was going on.”<\/span><\/p>\n Scheffer-Arango said they had never experienced an active lockdown other than a drill before at EHS. He mentioned recent national news in terms of gun violence and its impact on students.<\/span><\/p>\n “I think going through everybody’s mind, it was like, there’s probably a school shooter here because this is just the current events that are happening now,” Scheffer-Arango said. <\/span><\/p>\n Scheffer-Arango said the experience was impactful.<\/span><\/p>\n “It’s a little disconcerting that I was able to experience that, but I also felt a sense of relief after that no one was hurt,” Scheffer-Arango said.<\/span><\/p>\n Ellensburg School District (ESD) Superintendent Jinger Haberer and ESD District Director of Safety and Security Neil Musser released a statement stating that ESD, as well as other school districts in the state, have been reporting incidents of beatings.<\/span><\/p>\n The statement defines the beating as “a false report of an ongoing emergency or threat of violence intended to provoke an immediate tactical response by law enforcement.” <\/span><\/p>\n