Roosevelt High School Was in Danger Today

From Roosevelt Principal Tami Brewer:

Dear Roosevelt families and staff,

This afternoon, an individual experiencing a mental health crisis entered our building. He was quickly intercepted by our security team and front office staff who called the police. Out of an abundance of caution, we immediately entered our Shelter-in-Place procedure as students were in class. During a shelter-in-place, all doors are locked, but activities are ongoing inside classrooms.

The individual was immediately taken into custody by the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and escorted from the building. All students and staff were safe.  The Staff followed the Shelter in Place drilled procedure with precision and students cooperated 100%.  

Thanks to the quick action taken by our security team and the SPD, the incident was resolved before we could put the school on lockdown.  I will continue to work with the Roosevelt security team and SPS Safety and Security staff to fully investigate this situation. Debriefing all incidents is a part of our ongoing commitment to improve.

The safety and well-being of Roosevelt staff and students is my top priority.

As a community we all need to be reminded to stay vigilant. Students and staff are encouraged to never “prop open a door” or hold the door open to let others inside. All students and staff, as well as visitors, should identify themselves at the call box before entering the building. 

We all play a role in school safety. Please report any concerns to me or the school office immediately. You can also use the SPS Safe Schools Hotline 206-252-0510 to report any threats to SPS schools. This phone number is managed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round. The SPS School Info App is also available to report concerns. 

I am here and dedicated to our amazing students and staff. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  

Respectfully,

Principal Brewer
Roosevelt High School

End of email

Here's the thing - it sounds like this individual was in the building long enough for students to have taken photos. Allegedly, it appears that the man had a bulletproof vest and weapons. 

So if that is true, why just a shelter-in-place? 

How long before the man was seen and intercepted by the security team? 

How long before the police arrived? 

Office staff "intercepted" an armed man? 

This all circles back to whatever the district is calling a "safety plan." 

Are RHS students being offered mental health counseling? Because all these events are a shock to the system for young people. 

Another thing to consider is the story this week of a shooting at a high school in Nashville where two students were shot and the gunman killed himself. 

From CNN:

Law enforcement officials seeking a motive for a shooting at Nashville’s Antioch High School on Wednesday morning are examining alarming social media posts and writings tied to a teenager police say shot and killed a 16-year-old girl.

The shooter, identified by Metro Nashville Police as 17-year-old Solomon Henderson, fired 10 shots within 17 seconds inside a cafeteria shortly after 11 a.m. –– killing Josselin Corea Escalante.

 

Social media posts and videos posted by the suspect show a history of racist, antisemitic, and violent beliefs. The online writings include a detailed plan of the shooting and a layout of the school.

Wednesday’s tragedy, which sent students in the cafeteria scrambling for cover, was the first school shooting in the US this year, based on CNN’s school shooting database parameters. There were 83 school shootings in 2024, the most of any year CNN has tracked.

This school had SROs in the building, has security vestibules, and an AI system to detect weapons.  From NBC:

The (AI) software, called Omnilert, failed to detect the gun because of where cameras were in Antioch High School, Metro Nashville Public Schools spokesperson Sean Braisted said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. 

But the system was activated by police brandishing their weapons during the response to the shooting, Braisted said.

Omnilert connects to the school's existing network of cameras and uses AI technology to detect weapons, he said, but "in this instance, based on the shooter's location in proximity to the cameras, it wasn't close enough to get an accurate read and to activate that alarm."

Apparently, some parents now want metal detectors which are expensive and a determined shooter can find a go-around like a side door.