Report of a man with gun at Meridian Park Elementary closes schools district-wide

SHORELINE -- There were frightening moments for parents Wednesday morning after there was a report of a man with a gun at Meridian Park Elementary School in Shoreline.

The incident forced more than 14 schools to shut down for the day and parents scrambling to reach their children.

It all started at Meridian Park Elementary about an hour before classes normally start.

The King County Sheriff's Office said a school employee reported he had been making a delivery at the school "when he saw a male that he believed had some type of long gun. This unknown male made a statement that alluded to him going to all of the schools. There was nothing else said. The employee took this as a threat and he went into the school and called 911."

The call triggered a huge police response.



“That is just pretty ridiculous,” said young Joseph Marshall, a Shoreline School District student.

Marshall’s mother and scores of other parents rushed to Spartan Center hoping to reconnect with their kids.

Police said the staff member described the man, of unknown age and race,  as wearing a dark hoodie and camouflage pants. That’s when cops swarmed all of Shoreline’s schools.

“Any person who is foolish enough to be on any kind of school property with a weapon of any kind, that’s threatening to all of us,” said D. B. Gates with the King County Sheriff’s Office. “We take that very seriously.”

Police have not yet made any arrests but they are interviewing a man in connection with the case.

All after-school activities and sports have been cancelled district-wide while deputies search for a suspect.

Anyone with information on this incident is urged to call the King County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center at 206-296-3311