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Man threatens to shoot kids at 5 Edmonds daycares, police investigating

EDMONDS, Wash. — A man called Edmonds daycares with graphic threats on Monday, and Edmonds police are trying to find him.

The man threatened violence, saying children would be shot. But the threats were so graphic in nature, investigators wouldn’t give additional specifics.

"There were threats to shoot at the location, threats to harm people," said Edmonds police sergeant Josh McClure. "I mean, prank phone calls are one thing. But this appears to be a very coordinated effort to cause fear."

Five daycares in Edmonds received threatening calls Monday.

None of the threats have been carried out. While Edmonds police said they did not want to scare anyone, they believe the threat still exists and that parents need to be particularly cautious.

"We can't guarantee there's no threat until we find this person," said McClure.

Investigators said the suspect could be anywhere in the world, but appears to have ties to Edmonds. They are actively still trying to find out who the man is, and Edmonds police said they’d never dealt with an incident like this before.

"If you want to get a large police response, threaten children. So you've done your job. But now, we're going to come find you," said McClure.

Parents dropping up and picking up their children at a Shoreline private school Tuesday were greeted to the sight of a patrol car in the parking lot, one day after someone threatened to set off a bomb here.

"Yeah, that's crazy," said Kache Garvin after she was told about the threat. She lives in an apartment building across the street.

"Like just going to a daycare where they're supposed to play and learn, just interact with other kids and they have to worry about a bomb threat," she said. "Most of them probably don't even understand what that means."

On Tuesday, the Edmonds Police Department released the following statement:

"Edmonds Police appreciate the public’s concern for the safety and well-being of all children, not only in Edmonds, but in our surrounding communities. Threats against any member of the community are unacceptable, but threats made against innocent children are indefensible. At this time, our detectives are focusing on information that leads them to believe the origination of the threatening calls came from outside the State of Washington.  We do not believe that there is an immediate threat to our community. The Edmonds Police Department will continue to work this investigation and use the resources of our local, State, and Federal law enforcement partners, as appropriate. Our patrol officers will continue to provide a visible presence in your neighborhoods and exceptional response to calls for service. More details on this investigation will be released as appropriate.  

"We would also like to thank the Lynnwood Police Department, Mountlake Terrace Police Department and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office for the assistance in the initial response to yesterday’s events. Officers and Deputies responded to five separate locations across Edmonds in a matter of minutes. It was another great example of cooperation between Snohomish County Law Enforcement."

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