Garfield High School will return to in-person learning Monday
The high school held distance learning on Friday after officials received a tip about the possibility of gun violence on the campus.
SEATTLE — Garfield High School in Seattle announced that it would return to face-to-face learning Monday after a shooting threat prompted the school to transition to distance learning.
Headmaster Garfield Taranace Hart said in a note to parents and staff on Saturday that Garfield and Nove will resume in-person and after-school activities on Monday. Hart said the school switched to distance learning “out of an abundance of caution” on Friday after officials received word from the community about the potential threat of gun violence on campus.
Seattle Public Schools (SPS) will increase security outside of Garfield and Nova school buildings June 5-9, with support from the SPS Safety and Security team, Hart said in a statement. note.
Hart says the Seattle Police Department will have a focus on patrolling the area for an extra police presence.
There will be a meeting Monday at 7 p.m. for Garfield students, families, and staff about safety and security.
Garfield closed the school early on Thursday due to “threats that appear to be related to dismissal and after-school hours.”
Hart said security forces from the Seattle Police Department and Seattle Public Schools were on the campus and surrounding area during the early dismissal period Thursday and no incidents were seen or reported.
The “increase in violence” Hart mentioned in his Friday message comes after three separate shootings near Garfield High School, all in May alone.
On May 18, Seattle police responded to a shooting outside the Teen Life Center that left a 19-year-old man injured.
On May 24, Seattle police discovered several bullet casings and a car with bullet holes two blocks from the Garfield campus. Seattle police said a teenager, later identified as 16, was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition with gunshot wounds.
On May 26, a Seattle police officer working at the Youth Life Center reported hearing gunshots in the area. Response officers are said to have found a man outside the center with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
All shootings are still under investigation.
Shootings in the Central District have increased significantly since 2021. Seattle Police Department data through April only, but show two shootings in 2021. So far, there have been two mass shootings. 11 cases.
A student at Garfield sent KING 5 a message saying she was happy the school district took action and disappointed in the way Seattle handled gun violence. They ended the message by saying, “I don’t feel safe at my school anymore.”
“It’s a shame because at their age they should only care about going to school, getting work done and graduating from high school,” says Jaawell Faggins.
