PORT TOWNSEND — Increased security at the Jefferson County Courthouse is likely to stay in place through Wednesday after a threat was reported Monday night.
At about 9 p.m., a man approached a clerk who was leaving work at Penny Saver Mart, 2140 E. Sims Way, and said he intended to go to the courthouse, shoot everyone there and then shoot himself, according to Undersheriff Joe Nole.
The clerk called the Port Townsend Police Department, who took her report.
The man, whom she had not seen before, was described as heavy-set and in his mid-30s with short blond hair and wearing a trench coat, Nole said.
He did not appear to have a car “and may have been someone who was just passing through,” Nole said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there had been no success in tracking the man, Nole said.
When the courthouse opened Tuesday, the front and rear entrances were locked while a metal detector was installed at the side entrance facing Cass Street.
As people passed through the checkpoint, they were told that the process was a routine random security check.
The Sheriff’s Office assigned four deputies to the checkpoint, adding to the two who usually work courthouse security.
This is the second such incident in eight months.
An anonymous threat about people who reportedly intended to bring explosives to the courthouse that was received Aug. 21 prompted a similar reaction.
Police did not find a credible threat and reopened the courthouse as usual the next day.
Nole said such threats rarely materialize but must be investigated thoroughly.
“We are taking this one day at a time,” said Philip Morley, the county administrator, on Tuesday.
“It is possible this is related to the fact that [Wednesday] is April Fools’ Day.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
