A Spokane County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a man Tuesday morning outside Evergreen Middle School in Spokane Valley.
The school was put on lockdown after a caller told dispatchers about 11:30 a.m. that a suspicious man was possibly armed and approaching the school.
The sheriff’s office real-time crime center used surveillance cameras to monitor the situation as officers arrived. A deputy arrived within minutes and confronted the man.
Sheriff John Nowels said during a news briefing outside the school that the man “aggressed” on the deputy and presented a lethal threat, and the deputy then shot him. The deputy is now on administrative leave.
Investigators at the school found a suspicious package outside, but they could not confirm what was inside and a disposal unit exploded it at about 1:30 p.m. The package required students to stay locked down in the building and slowed down the evacuation process, Nowels said.
Nowels noted that the man may have called dispatchers on himself and stated he was armed and attempting to enter the school. The caller noted that the man was acting suspicious, sweating and putting a weapon in his right-side pocket.
The sheriff did not disclose whether a weapon was found or the man brandished or fired a gun at the deputy.
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Mark Gregory, spokesman for the department, confirmed no one in the school was injured. The Spokane Independent Investigative Response team is leading the investigation.
The Central Valley School District posted that all students were safe and that parents could reunite with their children at Valley Real Life Church.
Central Valley School District and Evergreen Middle School are prepared to help students with the traumatic events of Tuesday, Central Valley Superintendent John Parker said at the briefing. He said counselors will be at the school. The district will send information later as to whether the school will be open Wednesday. Their first priority, he said, is uniting students with their families.
“I’m also just very glad to know that our students are safe,” Parker said.
George Beck, an Evergreen Middle School parent heading to the pickup line at Valley Real Life, was in shock when he saw a Facebook post about a shooting at his child’s school.
“I never thought I would have to worry about this,” he said.
Beck said communication from the district was good, and he’s relieved to know students and staff are safe.
Hundreds of cars flooded both the north and south parking lots of Valley Real Life. Volunteers from the church, police and district administrators helped direct parents and buses to the auditorium to pick up their children. Parents were required to show ID and fill out forms before retrieving their children.
Volunteers at Valley Real Life also handed out snacks and water as anxious families waited.
