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Skagit Valley, Everett colleges locked down by threats

EVERETT and MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Everett Community College and Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon were locked down for threats Monday morning.

A 7:33 a.m. tweet from Everett Community College said the main campus was in lockdown and that students should lock doors, seek shelter and avoid being seen or heard.

Everett police said in a tweet the campus was locked down after a threat was emailed to the college. A second tweet from the police department said the campus was locked down out of an abundance of caution, and officers at the scene confirmed that there was no active threat.

At 8:58 a.m., EvCC tweeted the lockdown had been lifted but in-person classes and services classes were canceled for the rest of Monday. The Washington State University’s Everett campus was however open.

Everett police later tweeted that they do not believe there to be a credible threat, but they will continue to have increased patrols at the campus.

There will also be a heightened presence of EvCC security officers on campus.

The college will reopen for in-person classes and services Tuesday.

At 9:03 a.m., the Skagit Valley College tweeted that a lockdown was issued for all campuses and centers due to a threat.

The college issued a second tweet at 9:39 a.m. saying the lockdown was lifted, but all campuses and centers would be closed for the remainder of Monday, including evening activities and events.

According to the Mount Vernon Police Department, the Skagit Valley College received an email on Sunday, outside their normal hours of operation, that indicated there would be an active threat on campus “today.”

The email stated that explosives and firearms would be used in the threat.

Authorities confirmed that the same email was sent to the Everett Community College during the same timeframe.

In their investigation into the threatening email, authorities learned that several other colleges in the area received similar threats on Friday, May 6.

The investigation into the threatening emails is ongoing.

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