KPD Arrest Suspect for Threats Towards Juanita High School Classmates
Published on June 12, 2022
Media Contact: Sergeant Eric Karp
Kirkland Police Department
Email: ekarp@kirklandwa.gov
425-587-3436
Case/Incident #2022-20225
UPDATE as of 4 p.m. on June 17, 2022:
After a thorough investigation by Kirkland Detectives, misdemeanor harassment charges for the 18-year-old Juanita High School student accused of threatening classmates on social media were upgraded to felony harassment charges and filed by the King County Prosecutor’s Office on June 14th.
On June 15th, the suspect was transferred from the Kirkland Jail to the King County Jail to face the felony level charges instead.
The suspect remains in custody awaiting his next court date with an increased bail set at $200,000.
UPDATE as of 5:40 p.m. on June 13, 2022:
The 18 year old suspect in this case had his first court appearance today. Municipal Court Judge John Olson ordered the suspect to remain in custody for the time being, with a $99,000 amount of bail set. Next court date will likely be next week. If bail is posted, electronic home monitoring would be required, and the suspect would be in a home with no guns. A temporary Extreme Risk Protection Order has been granted, which prohibits the suspect from possessing firearms. The temporary Order will be in place for at least approximately two weeks until the suspect’s next court appearance about the Order.
Original Post:
Kirkland Police arrested a Juanita High School student after the suspect posted several threats directed toward classmates online. Several students reported the threats, which prompted the investigation.
On Sunday, June 12th, 2022, at approximately 12:45 p.m., several community members reported online threats being posted on Instagram. The threats of violence, accompanied by a photo of a firearm, were made toward students that attended Juanita High School. The threats were alleged to be carried out at Juanita High School in the next week.
The Lake Washington School District also received several tips about the threats being posted online. Kirkland Police Officers, School Resource Officers, Detectives, and Lake Washington School District (LWSD) staff worked collaboratively during the investigation.
The eighteen-year-old suspect was identified as a Juanita High School senior. He was subsequently arrested without incident. The suspect was booked into the Kirkland Jail on several counts of harassment, and he was formally trespassed from going onto LWSD owned properties. The suspect’s parent advised the student will not have access to any firearms going forward.
The Lake Washington School District has a comprehensive school safety program to include School Resource Officers who patrol the LWSD school campuses. Extra patrols will be conducted at school campuses this week.
The Kirkland Police Department would like to thank the involved witnesses, school staff, and police investigators for their work on this case. There are currently no outstanding suspects in this matter.
For more information about this investigation, please contact Sergeant Eric Karp at 425-587-3436 or email at ekarp@kirklandwa.gov