Police: FBI helped track Bend Senior HS phone threat to out-of-country caller

(Update: Police say FBI helped trace call)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Bend Senior High School was placed in "secure" lockout Thursday afternoon and all other area high schools soon were as well, for close to an hour as law enforcement rushed to the scene and other schools as a precaution after a phone threat of someone bringing a gun or guns into the school. Police later said the call came from out of the country.

Police were dispatched around 1:15 p.m. after Deschutes County 911 dispatch "received a call to the non-emergency dispatch line from a man reporting he was in the parking lot at Bend High with weapons, and said he was going to enter the school," police Communications Manager Sheila Miller said.

In an update Thursday evening, Miller said detectives had determined the call "originated from outside the country."

"We have traced the location," Miller told NewsChannel 21, "but are not providing that information at this time." However, she did confirm that the caller spoke in English and that the FBI helped trace the phone call and determine its origin.

The FBI in Portland told NewsChannel 21 Friday:

“While the FBI does not routinely confirm or deny whether an investigation is ongoing, we can confirm we will always take action to assist our state and local law enforcement partners, as we did in this instance, when it comes to threats against schools.  Any threat of violence against a school will be addressed as quickly as possible to ensure students, teachers, and staff are safe and secure.”

A Bend Police school resource officer was at the school, which was immediately placed into "secure" status, often referred to as a lockout. Secure status is when all doors are locked and no one can enter or exit the school, but class continues as usual, Miller said. 

A lockdown is a higher level of security, with a threat inside the school prompting locking of all doors and everyone staying where they are until an all-clear.

About 15 minutes later, police tweeted, “Bend Police are in the area of Bend High on a report of a threat. We are in communication with the school district. Many officers are in the area and the public is asked to avoid the area while we investigate.”

Moments after that, Bend-La Pine Schools sent a text note to the BLConnect communications system, indicating that "All Bend area high schools are in Secure (mode) until further notice."

More officers were on scene within three minutes, Miller said, and over the next hour thoroughly searched the campus, on foot and with drones, including outbuildings, classrooms and fields.

More than two dozen law enforcement personnel responded to the scene, including members of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and Redmond Police Department. Bend Fire also responded to the scene. 

Other law enforcement officers fanned out to several other schools across the city, as a precautionary measure.

“We’re going to go into secure and everyone was like, oh that’s a little weird cause we didn’t think anything was on the schedule for like a drill," Bend High senior Kate Berg said.

"We kind of just stayed in the classroom we were in until they told us we were out of it but it was kind of weird I guess cause people didn’t really know what was going on, but we knew we were safe," Berg added.

Jeff Newman, a parent of a 17-year-old Bend High Student, was sent into a shock when he heard the news from his children.

“My 17 year old texted me and said hey just a heads up were safe were in the locker room the teachers locked the doors police are going through the school with guns," Newman said. “I was driving so I parked. I was nervous and I told her to keep the doors locked, text me back, keep the doors locked and stay safe.”

"No evidence of a threat or weapons" was located at Bend High, Miller said late Thursday afternoon, adding that the investigation into the threat and origin of the call is continuing.

Around 2:20 p.m., Bend police tweeted that they had cleared the scene at Bend High. A few minutes later, school district officials advised that the 'Secure' mode had been lifted at all Bend-area high schools and Bear Creek Elementary School.

"Out of an abundance of caution, police presence will be increased around schools for the rest of the afternoon," they said, later adding that the increased presence will continue Friday.

The tense situation was understandably alarming for students and their parents, wanting more information about what was going on. Texting between parents and students helped somewhat.

The school district later told parents that with a portion of Sixth Street still closed, drivers and walkers would be released on Ninth Street at the end of the day. Parents were advised to pick up students at the parking lot of First Presbyterian Church on Ninth Street, across from the school. School bus riders were released at 3:35 p.m. and directed to their pickup location by school staff.

"All evening events will take place" as scheduled, the school district added.

Shortly before 4 p.m., police advised in a tweet that an unattended bag was found outside Bend High and they had asked the Oregon State Police explosives disposal unit to examine it "out of an abundance of caution," with the area cordoned off.

Less than 10 minutes later, police said the unit "determined the bag poses no threat and are opening all areas back up," thanking the public "for your patience."