CHIMACUM — Two 14-year-old students at Chimacum High School had made threats against other students at a football game before they were taken into custody this morning after they showed up to school with a machete, meat cleaver and knives, the Jefferson County Sheriff said.
One of the students had a 14-inch machete tucked into the back of his pants while the other had a meat cleaver and two knives hidden on his person, according to Sheriff Tony Hernandez.
The elementary, middle and high schools were locked down for three hours, ending just before noon, even though there was no apparent danger, as police searched the schools, Hernandez said.
“Nobody got hurt,” said Chimacum High School Principal Whitney Meissner.
“You don’t want the school to be locked down for three hours, but you do whatever you can to keep the kids safe.”
The two juveniles — who were not identified because of their age — were taken to the Kitsap County Juvenile Detention Facility in Port Orchard and are scheduled to appear in Jefferson County District Court on Tuesday.
Fourteen students were interviewed about what they knew about the incident.
Hernandez said that the students were involved in an altercation on Friday night during a football game between Chimacum and Port Townsend.
Hernandez said the two students made threats at the game against other students, but it was not clear against whom.
Meissner said she had heard about the threats over the weekend and logged onto the individual students’ Facebook page looking for information.
She did not find any specific threats on Facebook, but used the social network site after the incident to determine how it occurred.
During the lockdown, the State Patrol arrived with weapon-sniffing dogs but no weapons were found.
The Chimacum School District has approximately 900 students in elementary, middle and high school.
The Chimacum Primary School is in a different location and was not affected by the lockdown.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
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EARLIER STORY
UPDATED — Two Chimacum High School students arrested with big knives after school placed on lockdown
CHIMACUM — Two students at Chimacum High School were taken into custody after they showed up to school Monday morning with a machete and a meat cleaver.
There were no acts of violence, and the two students were taken to the Kitsap County Juvenile Detention Facility, authorities said..
School district administrators earlier said there was a threat and ordered a three-hour lockdown. Students returned to normal classes shortly before noon.
Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies interviewed five other students, who weren’t arrested.
Superintendent Craig Downs said the middle school, high school and elementary school were put on lockdown, with about 900 students affected.
The primary school was not on lockdown.
Downs said at about 9:20 a.m. that he thought the danger had passed, but that the threat was serious enough to inform the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
More information will be posted as it becomes available.
